Process for production of terephthalic acid

A method for producing terephthalic acid comprising:

• subjecting a p-phenylene compound to a liquid-phase oxidation reaction by the use of a molecular-oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst at least containing a heavy metal compound and a bromine compound, and hydrous acetic acid having a water content of 1 to 15 mass %, to thereby yield a slurry;
• regulating the temperature of the slurry to 35 to 140° C., to thereby cause terephthalic acid to precipitate;
• removing the terephthalic acid through solid-liquid separation, to thereby recover a mother liquor;
• and
• recovering the catalyst from the mother liquor through a series of operations (1) to (4) for reusing at least a portion of the catalyst in the liquid-phase oxidation reaction:
• (1) an adsorption operation including regulating the amount by mole of bromide ions in the mother liquor/total amount by mole of heavy metal ions in the mother liquor ratio to 0.6 to 3, and then exposing the mother liquor to a pyridine-ring-containing chelate resin which has been heated to 35 to 140° C., so that the resin adsorbs catalyst-derived heavy metal ions and bromide ions, and also adsorbs a by-produced carboxylic acid mixture which has been by-produced through the liquid-phase oxidation reaction,
• (2) an elution operation (A) of exposing hydrous acetic acid having a water content of 1 to 15 mass % to the pyridine-ring-containing chelate resin which has undergone the adsorption operation, thereby yielding an eluate containing the by-produced carboxylic acid mixture,
• (3) an elution operation (B) of exposing water or hydrous acetic acid having a water content of 20 mass % or more to the pyridine-ring-containing chelate resin which has undergone the elution operation (A), thereby yielding an eluate containing catalyst-derived heavy metal ions and bromide ions, and
• (4) a displacement operation of exposing hydrous acetic acid having a water content of 1 to 15 mass % to the pyridine-ring-containing chelate resin which has undergone the elution operation (B), serving as a displacement liquid, thereby regenerating the resin.