Patent ID: 7649109

Claim:
A process for producing a polymer, said process comprising: (a) subjecting a reaction medium to esterification in an esterification zone to thereby produce a first vapor product and a first liquid product, wherein a first portion of said esterification zone is defined within a heat exchanger and a second portion of said esterification zone is defined within a disengagement vessel, wherein said disengagement vessel is horizontally elongated and has a length-to-diameter ratio (L:D) of less than 10:1; (b) subjecting at least a portion of said first vapor product to distillative separation in a distillation zone, comprising a single column, to thereby produce a second vapor product and a second liquid product, wherein all of the first vapor product that is subject to distillative separation is through said single column; (c) upstream of said esterification zone, combining at least a portion of said second liquid product from said single column with at least a portion of said first liquid product to thereby produce a combined liquid, wherein the temperature of said second liquid product when combined with said first liquid product is in the range of from about 175° C. to about 250° C.; and (d) introducing an esterification feed comprising at least a portion of said combined liquid into said first portion of said esterification zone.