Patent ID: 7015351
Filing Date: 2006-03-21
Classification: C07F,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A process for making an N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine product, the process comprising: introducing an aqueous feed stream comprising an N-(phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetic acid substrate into an oxidation reactor system; oxidizing N-(phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetic acid substrate in the oxidation reactor system in the presence of an oxidation catalyst to produce a reaction product solution comprising N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine product; dividing the reaction product solution into plural fractions comprising a primary fraction and a secondary fraction; cooling the primary fraction as water is evaporated from the primary fraction under substantially adiabatic conditions by reducing the pressure to precipitate N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine product crystals from the primary fraction to produce a primary product slurry comprising precipitated N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine product crystals and a primary mother liquor; and precipitating N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine product crystals from an aqueous secondary crystallization feed mixture comprising N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine product contained in said secondary fraction to produce a secondary product slurry comprising precipitated N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine product crystals and a secondary mother liquor.