Distillastion process for recovery of oxidation product of cyclohexane

Claim 1

A METHOD OF DISTILLING OFF UNREACTED HYDROCARBON FROM A CRUDE REACTION MIXTRUE OBTAINED FROM THE LIQUIDPHASE AIR OXIDATION OF THE HYDROCARBON WHICH COMPRISES: (A) REMOVING THE CRUDE REACTION MIXTURE FROM THE OXIDATION REACTION ZONE IN WHICH AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION OCCURS AND FORWARDING SAID CRUDE REACTION MIXTURE TO A RECTIFYING COLUMN OF A STILL, (B) DISTILLING OFF INTHE RECTIFYING COLUMN THE UNREACTED HYDROCARBON FROM THE OXIDATION REACTION PRODUCTS, (C) COMPRESSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE UNREACTED HYDROCARBON VAPORS TAKEN OFF FROM THE RECTIFYING COLUMN BY MEANS JOF AN INJECTOR TO A PRESSURE HIGHER THAN THAT PRESSURE OBTAINING IN THE STILL OF THE RECTIFYING COLUMN, (D) FORWARDING THE COMPRESSED HYDROCARBON VAPORS TO A HEATING COIL IN THE STILL OF THE RECTIFYING COLUMN, (E) CONDENSING THE HYDROCARBON VAPORS IN THE HEATING COIL, THE HEAT OF CONDENSATION BEING UTILIED IN THE VAPORIZATION OF THE UNREACTED HYDROCARBON IN THE STILL, THE PROCESS BEING FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY: (1) A PORTION OF THE LIQUID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON CONDENSED IN THE HEATING COIL IS FORWARDED TO A SHELL COOLING SYSTEM FOR THE OXIDATION REACTOR WHEREIN IT IS VAPORIZED AT A PRESSURE HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE HYDROCARBON VAPOR LEAVING THE RECTIFYING COLUMN AND IS THEN COMPRESSED, (2) THE HYDROCARBON VAPORS PRODUCED IN THE COOLING SYSTEM OF THE OXIDATION REACTOR ARE USED AS THE DRIVING AGENT OF THE INJECTOR EMPLOYED IN COMPRESSING THE HYDROCARBON VAPORS LEAVING THE RECTIFYING COLUMN, (3) ANOTHER PORTION OF THE LIQUID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON CONDENSED INTHE HEATING COIL, TOGETHER WITH FRESH UNREACTED HYDROCARBON INTRODUCED FROM OUTSIDE THE REACTION SYSTEM, IS INTRODUCED INTO THE REACTION ZONE OF THE REACTOR FOR OXIDIZING, AND (4) THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE LIQUID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON CONDENSED IN THE HEATING COIL IS RECYCLED TO THE RECTIFYING COLUMN AS A REFLUX STREAM.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF DISTILLING OFF UNREACTED HYDROCARBON FROM A CRUDE REACTION MIXTRUE OBTAINED FROM THE LIQUIDPHASE AIR OXIDATION OF THE HYDROCARBON WHICH COMPRISES: (A) REMOVING THE CRUDE REACTION MIXTURE FROM THE OXIDATION REACTION ZONE IN WHICH AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION OCCURS AND FORWARDING SAID CRUDE REACTION MIXTURE TO A RECTIFYING COLUMN OF A STILL, (B) DISTILLING OFF INTHE RECTIFYING COLUMN THE UNREACTED HYDROCARBON FROM THE OXIDATION REACTION PRODUCTS, (C) COMPRESSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE UNREACTED HYDROCARBON VAPORS TAKEN OFF FROM THE RECTIFYING COLUMN BY MEANS JOF AN INJECTOR TO A PRESSURE HIGHER THAN THAT PRESSURE OBTAINING IN THE STILL OF THE RECTIFYING COLUMN, (D) FORWARDING THE COMPRESSED HYDROCARBON VAPORS TO A HEATING COIL IN THE STILL OF THE RECTIFYING COLUMN, (E) CONDENSING THE HYDROCARBON VAPORS IN THE HEATING COIL, THE HEAT OF CONDENSATION BEING UTILIED IN THE VAPORIZATION OF THE UNREACTED HYDROCARBON IN THE STILL, THE PROCESS BEING FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY: (1) A PORTION OF THE LIQUID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON CONDENSED IN THE HEATING COIL IS FORWARDED TO A SHELL COOLING SYSTEM FOR THE OXIDATION REACTOR WHEREIN IT IS VAPORIZED AT A PRESSURE HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE HYDROCARBON VAPOR LEAVING THE RECTIFYING COLUMN AND IS THEN COMPRESSED, (2) THE HYDROCARBON VAPORS PRODUCED IN THE COOLING SYSTEM OF THE OXIDATION REACTOR ARE USED AS THE DRIVING AGENT OF THE INJECTOR EMPLOYED IN COMPRESSING THE HYDROCARBON VAPORS LEAVING THE RECTIFYING COLUMN, (3) ANOTHER PORTION OF THE LIQUID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON CONDENSED INTHE HEATING COIL, TOGETHER WITH FRESH UNREACTED HYDROCARBON INTRODUCED FROM OUTSIDE THE REACTION SYSTEM, IS INTRODUCED INTO THE REACTION ZONE OF THE REACTOR FOR OXIDIZING, AND (4) THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE LIQUID UNREACTED HYDROCARBON CONDENSED IN THE HEATING COIL IS RECYCLED TO THE RECTIFYING COLUMN AS A REFLUX STREAM.