Dibasic acid treating process

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SEPARATING SUCCINIC ACID FROM A MIXTURE THEREOF WITH AT LEAST ONE NORMALLY CRYSTALLINE DIBASIC ACID OF THE FORMULA HOOC(CH2)MCOOH WHERE M IS AN INTEGER FROM 6 TO 10 INCLUSIVELY, COMPRISING CONVERTING SAID SUCCINIC ACID INTO SUCCINIC ANHYDRIDE BY FORMING A DISTILLIAND OF A MIXTURE WHICH CONTAINS SAID SUCCINIC ACID, SAID DIBASIC ACID AND AN INERT WATER-IMMISCIBLE, LIQUID PHASE WATER-ENTRAINING AGENT, SAID AGENT BEING CAPABLE OF DISSOLVING AT LEAST ABOUT 5 GRAMS OF SUCCINIC ACID PER 100 GRAMS OF SAID AGENT AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 175-220*C., MAINTAINING DISTILLATION OF SAID ENTRAINING AGENT AND WATER FROM SAID DISTILLAND TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 175*C. TO ABOUT 220*C. UNTIL EVOLUTION OF WATER FROM SAID DISTILLAND SUBSTANTIALLY CEASES, THE PROPORTION OF SAID WATER-ENTRAINING AGENT TO SAID MIXTURE BEING BETWEEN ABOUT 1:1 AND BOUT 7:1, COOLING THE DISTILLATION RESIDUE TO A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT -20* F. TO ABOUT + 100*F. FOR RECOVERY OF SAID MIXTURE AS A SOLID PHASE MASS, AND LIXIVIATING SAID RECOVERED SOLID PHASE MASS WITH A CHLORINATED METHANE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METHYL CHLORIDE, METHYLENE CHLORIDE, AND CHLOROFORM THEREBY SEPARATING SAID SECCINIC ANHYDRIDE FROM SAID DIBASIC ACID, SAID LIXIVIATION CONDUCTED WITH 1 TO 20 PARTS OF SAID CHLORINATED METHANE PER PART OF SAID MIXTURE USING A TEMPERATURE OF -30* TO + 150*C.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF SEPARATING SUCCINIC ACID FROM A MIXTURE THEREOF WITH AT LEAST ONE NORMALLY CRYSTALLINE DIBASIC ACID OF THE FORMULA HOOC(CH2)MCOOH WHERE M IS AN INTEGER FROM 6 TO 10 INCLUSIVELY, COMPRISING CONVERTING SAID SUCCINIC ACID INTO SUCCINIC ANHYDRIDE BY FORMING A DISTILLIAND OF A MIXTURE WHICH CONTAINS SAID SUCCINIC ACID, SAID DIBASIC ACID AND AN INERT WATER-IMMISCIBLE, LIQUID PHASE WATER-ENTRAINING AGENT, SAID AGENT BEING CAPABLE OF DISSOLVING AT LEAST ABOUT 5 GRAMS OF SUCCINIC ACID PER 100 GRAMS OF SAID AGENT AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 175-220*C., MAINTAINING DISTILLATION OF SAID ENTRAINING AGENT AND WATER FROM SAID DISTILLAND TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 175*C. TO ABOUT 220*C. UNTIL EVOLUTION OF WATER FROM SAID DISTILLAND SUBSTANTIALLY CEASES, THE PROPORTION OF SAID WATER-ENTRAINING AGENT TO SAID MIXTURE BEING BETWEEN ABOUT 1:1 AND BOUT 7:1, COOLING THE DISTILLATION RESIDUE TO A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT -20* F. TO ABOUT + 100*F. FOR RECOVERY OF SAID MIXTURE AS A SOLID PHASE MASS, AND LIXIVIATING SAID RECOVERED SOLID PHASE MASS WITH A CHLORINATED METHANE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METHYL CHLORIDE, METHYLENE CHLORIDE, AND CHLOROFORM THEREBY SEPARATING SAID SECCINIC ANHYDRIDE FROM SAID DIBASIC ACID, SAID LIXIVIATION CONDUCTED WITH 1 TO 20 PARTS OF SAID CHLORINATED METHANE PER PART OF SAID MIXTURE USING A TEMPERATURE OF -30* TO + 150*C.