Acetic Acid → Terephthalic Acid

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A stock solution consisting of 1000 g of glacial acetic acid, 26 g of cobalt butyrate (cobalt concentration 0.50% by weight based on the weight of the solvent) and 200 g of p-tolualdehyde was charged into the same reactor as that used in Example 1 at a rate of 160 ml/hr. The reaction solution was throughly mixed by the stirrer and air was blown therein while the temperature of the inside of the reactor was maintained at 115° C. The reaction was carried out at a reaction pressure of 30 kg/cm2 (i.e. a partial pressure of oxygen of 6 kg/cm2). The vapor phase portion was withdrawn from the reaction system at a rate of 80 l/hr. The value of toluic acid/cobalt in the reaction solution at a steady state was 1.10 and the average residence time of the reaction solution was 150 minutes. As a result, terephthalic acid having an acid value of 671 and a purity of 99.2% was obtained in a yield of 95.0% by mole.

Provenance & Evidence