Abstract:
Liquid phase oxidation of isomeric xylene mixture with molecular oxygen-containing gas (e.g. air or oxygen gas) in the presence of aqueous or acetic acid reaction media and catalysis provided by one or more heavy metals (metals of about 50 to about 200 atomic weight) or by a side-chain oxidation initiator or promotor (bromine source, or acetaldehyde or methylenic ketone) provides oxidation effluent containing mixture of isomeric phthalic acids for product crystallization and reaction media displacement from concentrate of said effluent by contact of the concentrate with water in a single step, preferably conducted with a vertical column of water, thereby producing aqueous acetic acid for feed to acetic acid recovery and recycle to oxidation and aqueous slurry of mixture of isomeric phthalic acids as feed for separation into individual phthalic acid isomer products. Isoand tere-phthalic acids in particular are separated from mixtures of the same by crystal size classification.
Abstract:
LIQUID PHASE OXIDATION OF P-XYLENE WITH MOLECULAR OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS (E.G., AIR OR COMMERCIAL OXYGEN) IN PRESENC OF ACETIC ACID PRODUCES FLUID OXIDATION EFFLUENT WHICH IS SUBJECTED FIRST TO SIMULTANEOUS TEREPHTHALIC ACID CRYSTALLIZATION AND ACETIC ACID DISPLACEMENT BY CONTACT WITH A COUNTERCURRENT FLOW OF WATER AND SECOND TO SIMULTANEOUS WATER DISPLACEMENT BY AND TEREPHTHALIC SLURRY FORMATION IN METHANOL BY ITS COUNTERCURRENT CONTACT WITH THE FIRST FORMED SLURRY OF TEREPHTHALIC ACID IN WATER FROM ACETIC ACID DISPLACEMENT. THIS PROVIDES A SLURRY OF TEREPHTHALIC ACID IN METHANOL AS FEED TO ESTERIFICATION FROM WHICH A LIQUID ESTERIFICATION EFFLUENT IS SUBJECTED TO SIMULTANEOUS DMT CRYSTALLIZATION AND METHANOL MOTHER LIQUOR DISPLACEMENT BY COUNTERCURRENT CONTACT WITH COOLER FRESH METHANOL THEREBY PRODUCING A SLURRY OF PRECIPITATED DMT IN FRESH METHANOL.