Patent ID: 8084639

Claim:
A method of reducing inflow of water from a reactor outlet gas to a dehydration tower that uses steam for separating carboxylic acid solvent and water, said water being produced in a reactor during oxidation of an aromatic compound in the carboxylic acid solvent to produce an aromatic acid, the method comprising the steps of: flowing the reactor outlet gas that includes said carboxylic acid solvent and water into a bottom inlet of a first absorption tower equipped with means for increasing gas-liquid contact surface area, said carboxylic acid solvent being selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, propionic acid and acrylic acid; supplying said aromatic compound at a top inlet of the first absorption tower to descend and collect therein the carboxylic acid solvent and a portion of the water from the reactor outlet gas as a mixture, condensing and removing the mixture as a condensate through a bottom outlet of the first absorption tower, and adding the condensate to the reactor; and discharging an additional portion of the water included in the reactor outlet gas and excess aromatic compound through a top outlet of the first absorption tower, condensing the water using a condenser, separating the water from the aromatic compound using an organic-water separator, and discharging the water from the organic-water separator as wastewater.