Process for production of aromatic carboxylic acids with improved water removal technique
US6504051B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 4, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jan 7, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 4, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC07C51/265
- WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Disclosed is an improved process for the continuous production of aromatic carboxylic acids by the liquid-phase oxidation of an alkyl aromatic compound with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of oxidation catalyst which results in reduced wastewater generation, reduced condensing capacity requirements, and, optionally, increased power recovery, and. The process effectively utilizes the heat of reaction in the process of removing excess water generated from the reaction and minimizes the loss of solvent used as the carrier for the reaction catalyst by removing reactor off-gas directly into a water removal column for distillation. A portion of the overhead aqueous vapors are removed from the top of the water removal column as a vapor distillate, with the remaining overhead aqueous vapors being condensed then subsequently refluxed to the fractionating zone of the water removal column. In a preferred embodiment, the combined vapor distillate and oxygen-depleted process gas are reduced to a low pressure through a power recovery device for improved process efficiency, and then fed to a pollution control device for the destruction of organic compounds before exiting the process.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.