Nitric acid oxidation process

A method of synthesizing a mixture of organic acids, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) combining, over time, in one or more closed reaction vessels, under a positive pressure of oxygen and with continuous stirring mixing an organic compound suitable for nitric acid oxidation and an aqueous solution of nitric acid to form a reaction mixture, wherein the organic compound and the aqueous solution of nitric acid are concurrently introduced into the one or more closed reaction vessels;
• (b) flowing said reaction mixture through the one or more closed reaction vessels while (i) maintaining a controlled temperature of from about 5° C. to about 105° C. in a portion of the reaction vessel, (ii) maintaining a reaction vessel headspace temperature of from about 80° C. to about −42° C.;
• and (iii) a controlled positive pressure of oxygen of from about 0 bar g to about 1000 bar g for a time period suitable to oxidize the organic compound to a subsequent reaction mixture comprising a mixture of organic acid products and nitrogen oxides;
• and
• (c) removing most of nitric acid from the subsequent reaction mixture to give a final reaction mixture of organic acids suitable for further processing.