Patent ID: 8115029

Claim:
A process for oxidizing a substrate to a dicarboxylic acid comprising the steps of: forming a reaction mixture comprising an organic solvent system; an oxidizable substrate solubilized or dispersed in said solvent system, said oxidizable substrate selected from the group consisting, of o-xylene, m-xylene, and p-xylene or mixtures thereof; and an oxidation catalyst system solubilized or dispersed in said solvent system, introducing a sufficient quantity of compressed gas into said reaction mixture in order to volumetrically expand said reaction mixutre; introducing an oxidizing agent into said reaction mixture, thereby causing said oxidizable substrate to be oxidized; wherein said oxidation catalyst system comprises a cobalt carboxylate catalyst and a co-catalyst selected from the group consisting of N-hydroxysuccinimide; wherein said reaction mixture is maintained at a temperature less than about 125° C. when said oxidizing agent is initially introduced.