Patent ID: 7880031

Claim:
A process to produce and recycle an enrichment feed, said process comprising: (a) subjecting a catalyst rich liquor produced in a terephthalic acid production process to a cooling and/or concentration zone to form a concentrated mother liquor stream; wherein said catalyst rich liquor comprises at least one solvent, at least one catalyst; wherein said catalyst was previously utilized in the oxidation of paraxylene; (b) subjecting at least a portion of said concentrated mother liquor stream and an extraction solvent to an extraction zone to form a catalyst depleted stream; (c) subjecting—the balance of said concentrated mother liquor stream not sent to said extraction zone and a wash stream in a SLS zone to form a wet cake stream; wherein said wash stream is any stream suitable for removing a portion of said catalyst from solids isolated in said SLS zone to produce said wet cake stream; (d) subjecting at least a portion of said wet cake stream and optionally said catalyst depleted stream to a mix zone to form said enrichment feed; wherein said enrichment feed comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of isophthalic acid, phthalic acid, benzene-tricarboxylic acid isomers, hydroxybenzoic acid isomers, hydroxymethylbenzoic acid isomers, dicarboxybiphenyl isomers, dicarboxystilbene isomers, tricarboxybiphenyl isomers, tricarboxybenzophenone isomers, dicarboxybenzophenone isomers, dicarboxybenzil isomers, form-acet-hydroxybenzoic acid isomers, acet-hydroxymethylbenzoic acid isomers and phthaldehyde isomers; and (e) recycling at least a portion of said enrichment feed to any point in a TPA production process after a primary oxidation zone and before the isolation of a dried TPA product.