Purification of carboxylic acids

Abstract

Abstract A PROCESS FOR THE REMOVAL OF HALOGEN CONTAMINANTS AND THE DRYING OF AQUEOUS MONOCARBOXYLIC A ACIDS, PARTICULARLY THOSE PRODUCED BY THE REACTION OF AN ALCOHOL OR OLEFIN AND CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE CATALYTIC SYSTEM COMPRISING A GROUP VIII METAL COMPONENT AND A HALOGEN COMPONENT CONTAINING BROMINE OR IODINE AND AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE HALOGEN COMPONENT BEING EITHER AN ALKYL HALIDE AND/OR A HYDROGEN HALIDE. THE PROCESS COMPRISES INTRODUCING A MONACARBOXYLIC ACID STREAM CONTAINING WATER AND THE HALOGEN CONTAMINANT INTO THE UPPER HALF OF A DISTILLATION COLUMN, REMOVING AN OVERHEAD FRACTION CONSISTING PRIMARILY OF THE WATER AND ALKYL HALIDE CHARGE TO SAID COLUMN, REMOVING A STREAM FROM THE MIDDLE PORTION OF SAID COLUMN CONTAINING A MINOR PROPORTION OF HYDROGEN HALIDE PRESENT IN SAID COLUMN, AND REMOVING A PRODUCT ACID STREAM FROM AT OR NEAR THE BOTTOM OF SAID COLUMN, THE PRODUCT ACID STREAM BEING ESSENTIALLY DRY AND SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF THE HALOGEN CONTAMINANTS CHARGED TO SAID COLUMN. THE METHOD IS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO THE REMOVAL OF WATER AND IODINE-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS FROM ACETIC AND PROPIONIC ACIDS.

Inventors

• 👤 L Eubanks
• 👤 J Payne

Bibliographic Details