Patent ID: 8859788

Claim:
A process for the manufacture of dialkyl furan-2,5-dicarboxylate (DAFD) vapor composition comprising: a. feeding furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (“FDCA”) to an esterification reactor; and b. providing a liquid reaction mixture in the esterification reactor, said liquid reaction mixture comprising FDCA, methanol, DAFD, water, and 5-(alkoxycarbonyl)furan-2-carboxylic acid (ACFC); and c. in the presence of said methanol, conducting an esterification reaction in the liquid reaction mixture; and d. providing an esterification vapor in an esterification vapor space within the esterification reactor above the liquid reaction mixture, said esterification vapor comprising, in vapor form, DAFD, unreacted methanol, ACFC, and water; and e. continuously passing at least a portion of the esterification vapor into a rectification zone in which at least a portion of the ACFC in the esterification vapor is converted to a liquid phase condensate, wherein said rectification zone comprises trays, packing, baffles, or a spray region to promote the formation of said liquid phase condensate; and f. during said esterification reaction, contacting at least a portion of the liquid phase condensate with the liquid reaction mixture; and g. during said esterification reaction, continuously discharging from the rectification zone a DAFD vapor composition comprising DAFD, water, unreacted methanol, and by-products.