Pressure controlled liquid phase oxidation process for aromatic acid production

Claim 1

IN THE PREPARATION OF AN AROMATIC CARBOXYLIC ACID FROM AN ALIPHATIC SUBSTITUTED AROMATIC COMPOUND BY OXIDIZING WITH MOLECULAR OXYGEN IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST SYSTEM COMPRISING A METAL OXIDATION CATALYST AND A SOURCE OF BROMINE SAID OXIDATION BEING CONDUCTED UNDER LIQUID PHASE CONDITION IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ALKANOIC ACID CONTAINING FROM 2 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE AS THE REACTION MEDIUM, THE IMPROVEMENT OF EFFECTING SAID OXIDATION BY PROVIDING IN A REACTOR AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 140*F AND AT LEAST A PRESSURE TO MAINTAIN A LIQUID PHASE IN SAID REACTOR OF A LIQUID REACTION MIXTURE CONTAINING SAID ALIPHATIC SUBSTITUTED AROMATIC COMPOUND, SAID CATALYST SYSTEM AND SAID REACTION MEDIUM; PASSING A SOURCE OF MOLECULAR OXYGEN INTO SAID REACTION MIXTURE SLOWLY TO INITATE THE OXIDATION AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 140-300*F., INCREASING THE RATE OF ADDITION OF MOLECULAR OXYGEN INTO THE REACTION MIXTURE TO THE MAXIMUM RATE FOR OXIDATION AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF FROM 300-500*F. UNTIL THE REACTION TEMPERATURE BEGINS TO DECREASE AND THEREAFTER REDUCING THE RATE OF ADDITION OF MOLECULAR OXYGEN; CONDENSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE MATERIALS VAPORIZED FROM THE REACTION MIXYURE; RETURNING TO THE REACTION NIXTURE AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE CONDENSATE; AND REMOVING A PORTION OF THE UNCONDENSED VAPORS TO MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT PRESSURE IN SAID REACTOR.