Patent ID: 8461397

Claim:
A process for oxidizing a hydrocarbon to the corresponding hydroperoxide, alcohol, ketone, carboxylic acid or dicarboxylic acid, the process comprising (a) contacting a reaction medium comprising a hydrocarbon with an oxygen-containing gas in a reaction zone and in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide of the general formula (I): wherein each of R l and R 2 is independently selected from hydrocarbyl and substituted hydrocarbyl radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or from the groups SO 3 H, NH 2 , OH and NO 2 , or from the atoms H, F, Cl, Br and I, provided that R l and R 2 can be linked to one another via a covalent bond; each of Q 1 and Q 2 is independently selected from C, CH, N, and CR 3 ; each of X and Z is independently selected from C, S, CH 2 , N, P and elements of Group 4 of the Periodic Table; Y is O or OH; k is 0, 1, or 2; 1 is 0, 1, or 2; m is 1 to 3; and R 3 can be any of the entities (radicals, groups, or atoms) listed for R 1 ; (b) removing a portion of said reaction medium from said reaction zone, said reaction medium portion containing water and organic acids; (c) stripping at least part of water and organic acids from said reaction medium portion; and then (d) returning at least part of said reaction medium portion to said reaction zone.