Patent ID: 9149736
Filing Date: 2015-10-06
Classification: B01D,C07C

Abstract:
1. A process for the azeotropic distillation of a solvent for an oxidation reaction, wherein the solvent comprises an aliphatic carboxylic acid and water, the process comprising: (a) conducting the azeotropic distillation in the presence of an entrainer to produce (i) a liquid phase component comprising said aliphatic acid having a reduced water content relative to the water content in the solvent feedstock and (ii) a vapor phase component comprising the entrainer, organics and water; (b) condensing the vapor phase component to form a liquid condensate; (c) separating the entrainer and organics from the liquid condensate to form a liquid organic phase; (d) returning a first portion of the liquid organic phase to the top of the azeotropic distillation as a reflux; (e) forming a purge stream from a second portion of the liquid organic phase from step (d); (f) contacting the purge stream from step (e) with a clean aqueous stream, to produce (i) a recovered aqueous stream comprising water and entrainer and (ii) an organic stream comprising organics and entrainer; (g) providing the recovered aqueous stream from step (f) comprising recovered entrainer to a recovery column to recover the entrainer; and (h) recycling the organics stream from step (f) to the oxidation reactor or purging it from the process.