Production of purified dialkyl-furan-2,5-dicarboxylate (dafd) in a retrofitted dmt plant

A process for the manufacture of a DAFD vapor comprising:

• a) feeding a composition comprising furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (“FDCA”) in an amount greater than 90wt % to an esterification reaction zone;
• and
• b) in the presence of an alcohol compound, conducting an esterification reaction in the esterification reaction zone to react FDCA with said alcohol compound to form a crude diester composition comprising dialkyl furan-2,5-dicarboxylate (“DAFD”), the alcohol compound, 5-(alkoxycarbonyl)furan-2-carboxylic acid (ACFC), alkyl furan-2-carboxylate (AFC), and alkyl-5-formylfuran-2-carboxylate (AFFC);
• and wherein said esterification reactor zone comprises at least one reactor, wherein said reactor has been previously used in an DMT(dimethyl terephthalate) process;
• and wherein the process for the oxidation of the oxidizable material containing the furan group can be integrated with the process for the manufacture of the diester composition;
• and wherein an integrated process includes co-locating the two manufacturing facilities, one for oxidation and the other for esterification, within 10 miles.