Patent ID: 7705179

Claim:
A process for producing a carboxylic acid which comprises oxidizing a compound selected from the group consisting of a cycloalkane, cycloalkanol and cycloalkanone, said compound having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, with oxygen or a gas comprising oxygen, in a liquid phase in a solvent selected from the group consisting of polar protic solvents and polar aprotic solvents and in the presence of a catalyst dissolved in the reaction medium, at a temperature of about 50° C. to 200° C. and a pressure of about 0.1 MPa and 20 MPa, wherein the catalyst comprises: (1) at least one soluble manganese and/or cobalt compound, (2) at least one soluble chromium compound and (3) at least one soluble iron compound, wherein the molar ratios between the manganese and/or cobalt, the chromium and the iron are between 1/0.00001/0.0001 and 1/100/100.