Patent ID: 7683210

Claim:
A slurry composition containing terephthalic acid produced in a reaction medium within an oxidation reactor and withdrawn from an oxidation reactor, wherein the amount of solids in the reaction medium within the oxidation reactor ranges from 15 wt. % to 40 wt. % based on the weight of the reaction medium, and the amount of terephthalic acid solids produced in the reaction medium within the oxidation reactor is at least 95 wt. % of the total oxidation product in reaction medium, said slurry composition that is withdrawn from the oxidation reactor comprising a liquid mother liquor and solid crude terephthalic acid (CTA) particles, said CTA particles having been at least partly formed in said oxidation reactor, wherein said CTA particles comprise 4-carboxybenzaldehyde (4-CBA) in an amount ranging from at least 400 ppmw up to 15,000 ppmw, wherein a representative sample of said slurry contains benzoic acid (BA) which is present in an amount of less than 2,000 ppmw and has one or more of the following characteristics based on the combined solid and liquid slurry components: (a) contains isophthalic acid (IPA), wherein the concentration of said IPA in said representative sample is less than 1,500 ppmw, (b) contains phthalic acid (PA), wherein the concentration of said PA in said representative sample is less than 500 ppmw, (c) contains trimellitic acid (TMA), wherein the concentration of said TMA in said representative sample is less than 500 ppmw.