Optimized liquid-phase oxidation
AssigneeEastman Chemical Company
InventorsMarcel de Vreede, Lee Reynolds Partin, Wayne Scott Strasser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is an optimized process and apparatus for more efficiently and economically carrying out the liquid-phase oxidation of an oxidizable compound. Such liquid-phase oxidation is carried out in a bubble column reactor that provides for a highly efficient reaction at relatively low temperatures. When the oxidized compound is para-xylene and the product from the oxidation reaction is crude terephthalic acid (CTA), such CTA product can be purified and separated by more economical techniques than could be employed if the CTA were formed by a conventional high-temperature oxidation process.
Claims60
A process for producing a carboxylic acid, said process comprising:
- (a) introducing an oxidant stream comprising molecular oxygen into a reaction zone;
- (b) introducing a feed stream comprising an oxidizable compound into said reaction zone, wherein said oxidizable compound has a boiling point of at least 50° C., wherein at least 10 mole percent of said oxidizable compound is in a gaseous state when introduced into said reaction zone;
- and
- (c) oxidizing at least a portion of said oxidizable compound in a liquid phase of a multi-phase reaction medium contained in said reaction zone, wherein said reaction medium comprises in the range of from about 5 to about 40 weight percent solids on a time-averaged and volume-averaged basis, wherein said reaction medium has a gas hold up of at least 0.4 on a time-averaged and volume-averaged basis.
A process for producing a carboxylic acid, said process comprising:
- (a) introducing a predominately liquid-phase feed stream comprising an oxidizable compound into a heater;
- (b) vaporizing at least a portion of said feed stream in said heater;
- (c) introducing at least a portion of the vaporized feed stream into a bubble column reactor;
- and
- (d) oxidizing at least a portion of said oxidizable compound in a liquid phase of a multi-phase reaction medium contained in said bubble column reactor, wherein said reaction medium comprises in the range of from about 5 to about 40 weight percent solids on a time-averaged and volume-averaged basis, wherein said reaction medium has a gas hold up of at least 0.4 on a time-averaged and volume-averaged basis.
A process for producing terephthalic acid, said process comprising:
- (a) introducing para-xylene into a bubble column reactor, wherein at least 10 mole percent of said para-xylene is in a gaseous state when introduced into said bubble column reactor;
- (b) oxidizing at least a portion of said para xylene in a liquid phase of a multi-phase reaction medium contained in said bubble column reactor to thereby form crude terephthalic acid, wherein said reaction medium comprises in the range of from about 5 to about 40 weight percent solids on a time-averaged and volume-averaged basis, wherein said reaction medium has a gas hold up of at least 0.4 on a time-averaged and volume-averaged basis;
- and
- (c) oxidizing at least a portion of said crude terephthalic acid in a secondary oxidation reactor to thereby form purer terephthalic acid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.