Abstract:
Phthalic acids of improved quality are obtained direct from oxidation of xylenes with molecular oxygen in oxidation zone having co-oxidizable organic acid present in addition to a liquid phase acetic acid solution of one or more heavy metal oxidation catalyst and bromine releasing bromide compound. Particularly useful co-oxidizable organic acids are those which co-oxidize with the xylene to reactive primary radicals, such as sebacic, stearic or phenylacetic acids. Such quality improvement is manifested by decreased aldehydic acid and toluic acid impurity contaminants in recovered phthalic acid.