Optimized liquid-phase oxidation
AssigneeEastman Chemical Company
InventorsAlan George Wonders, Wayne Scott Strasser, Marcel de Vreede, J Thomas Tidwell
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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.
Claims52
A process for producing a carboxylic acid, said process comprising:
- introducing an oxidant stream comprising molecular oxygen into a reaction zone of a bubble column reactor via a plurality of oxidant openings defined in a conduit, wherein the pressure drop associated with discharging said oxidant stream from said conduit is not more than about 0.3 megaPascals (MPa), wherein said reaction zone comprises a reaction medium having a maximum height (H);
- and wherein said bubble column reactor is not mechanically agitated;
- and wherein a majority of said molecular oxygen enters said reaction medium within about 0.25H of the bottom of said reaction medium comprising oxidizing para-xylene in a liquid phase of a multi-phase reaction medium contained in said reaction zone of said bubble column reactor to form crude terephthalic acid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.