Patent ID: 7568361

Claim:
A process for producing a dicarboxylic acid, said process comprising: (a) introducing a feed stream comprising a liquid-phase oxidizable compound into a reaction zone of a bubble column reactor; (b) introducing an oxidant stream comprising molecular oxygen into said reaction zone; (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 at least about 10 weight percent of said oxidizable compound is converted to solids in said reaction medium, wherein said solids comprise said dicarboxylic acid; and (d) contacting at least a portion of said reaction medium with at least one baffle disposed in said reaction zone, wherein said baffle has an open area in the range of from about 10 to about 75 percent, wherein said baffle presents one or more exposed outer surfaces contacting said reaction medium, wherein less than about 35 percent of the total upwardly-facing surface area of said exposed outer surfaces is formed by substantially planar surfaces inclined less than about 20 degrees from horizontal.