Separation of aromatic

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR SEPARATING ORTHO-PHTHALIC ACID FROM A MIXTURE CONTAINING ORTHO-PHTHALIC ACID AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER PHTHALIC ACID WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING THE MIXED PHTHALIC ACIDS AND A SOLVENT, SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF BENZENE NITROBENZENE, CHLOROBENZENE, ALKYLBENZENE, CHLOROALKYLBENZENE, BENZOIC ACID, ALKYL BENZOIC ACIDS, ALKANOIC ACIDS, AND DIOXANE, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, TO A DEHYDRATION ZONE, HELD AT A TEMPERATURE FROM 100*C. TO 300*C., CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING WATER VAPOR FROM SAID ZONE, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING MAGMA COMPRISING MIXED ACIDS, PHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE AND SOLVENT FROM SAID ZONE, CENTRIFUGING SAID MAGMA, ISOLATING MIXED ISO- AND TEREPHTHALIC ACID AFTER SAID CENTRIFUGING AND WASHING THE SAME WITH SAID SOLVENT, CONTINUOUSLY PASSING THE MOTHER LIQUOR AND WASHINGS TO A SECOND ZONE HELD AT A TEMPERATURE FROM 100*C. TO 300*C. TOGETHER WITH SUFFICIENT WATER TO HYDROLYZE THE ORTHO-PHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE CONTENT THEREOF, PRECIPITATING THE ORTHO-PHTHALIC ACID AND CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING AND CENTRIFUGING THE MAGMA FROM SAID SECOND ZONE, CONTINUOUSLY SEPARATING THE ORTHO-PHTHALIC ACID AND WASHING THE SAME WITH SAID SOLVENT, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING WATER FROM THE MOTHER LIQUOR SOLVENT, DISTILLING THE SAME, AND THEN CONTINUOUSLY RECYCLING IT TO SAID DEHYDRATION ZONE.