Processes for producing 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and derivatives thereof and polymers made therefrom

An integrated process for producing 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and/or a derivative thereof from a six-carbon sugar-containing feed, comprising:

• a) dehydrating a feed comprising a six-carbon sugar unit, in the presence of a bromine source and of a solvent, at an elevated temperature and for a time sufficient to generate an oxidation feed comprised of at least one of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and/or a derivative or derivatives of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in the solvent, together with at least one bromine containing species;
• b) removing water from the oxidation feed from step a);
• c) contacting the oxidation feed from step b) with a homogeneous metal catalyst based on Co and Mn and with an oxygen source at an elevated temperature for a time sufficient to produce an oxidation product mixture comprising 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and/or a derivative thereof, the solvent, and a residual catalyst;
• d) purifying and separating the mixture obtained in step c) to obtain FDCA and/or a derivative thereof and the solvent;
• e) recycling at least a portion of the solvent obtained in step d) to step a);
• and
• f) providing more or less of the at least one bromine containing species used in step a) in step c), together with optionally other bromine containing species,
• wherein each optionally present derivative is at least one selected from the group consisting of diacid, diether, diester, ether-acid, ether-ester, ester-acid, ester-aldehyde, ether-aldehyde, ether-acetal, ester-acetal, acetal-acid, alcohol-acid, alcohol-ester, alcohol-acetal, diol, diacetal, and aldehyde-acetal.