Abstract: Disclosed is an optimized process and apparatus for more efficiently and economically carrying out the liquid-phase oxidation of an oxidizable compound. Such liquid-phase oxidation is carried out in a bubble column reactor that provides for a highly efficient reaction at relatively low temperatures. When the oxidized compound is para-xylene and the product from the oxidation reaction is crude terephthalic acid (CTA), such CTA product can be purified and separated by more economical techniques than could be employed if the CTA were formed by a conventional high-temperature oxidation process.

Abstract: Processes for producing aromatic dicarboxylic acids are disclosed, the processes including a step of combining in a reaction medium a dialkyl aromatic, a solvent comprising water and a saturated organic acid having from 2-4 carbon atoms, and an oxygen-containing gas, at a temperature from about 125° C. to about 155° C., in the presence of a catalyst composition comprising cobalt, manganese, zirconium, and bromine, wherein the weight ratio of cobalt to manganese in the reaction mixture is from about 10 to about 400. The processes provide improved conversion, while reducing the formation of carbon oxides and other by-products.

Abstract: Resol beads are disclosed that are prepared in high yield by reaction of a phenol with an aldehyde, in the presence of an effective-variable concentration of a nitrogen-containing base as catalyst, a colloidal stabilizer, and optionally a surfactant. The mean particle size of the resol beads is controlled by varying the effective-variable concentration of the nitrogen-containing base in the reaction mixture, wherein increasing the effective-variable concentration of the nitrogen-containing base produces an increase in the mean particle size of the resol beads. The resol beads obtained have a variety of uses, and may be thermally treated and carbonized to obtain activated carbon beads.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing a benzenedicarrboxylic acid such as terephthalic acid wherein a dialkyl benzene compound and acetic acid having catalyst components dissolved therein are fed to a first reaction zone wherein the dialkyl benzene compound is oxidized with molecular oxygen to provide a first oxidation zone product comprising a benzenedicarboxylic acid containing minor amounts of mono-carboxylic acid by-products such as carboxybenzaldehyde and toluic acid. The first oxidation zone product comprising a slurry of a benzenedicarboxylic acid containing minor amounts of mono-carboxylic acid by-products is fed to a second oxidation reaction zone that is operated under more severe conditions of temperature and pressure. The rate of the feed of a molecular oxygen containing gas to the second oxidation zone is about 3% or less of the the rate of the feed of the molecular oxygen containing gas to the first oxidation zone.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optimized process and apparatus for more efficiently and economically carrying out the liquid-phase oxidation of an oxidizable compound. Such liquid-phase oxidation is carried out in a bubble column reactor that provides for a highly efficient reaction at relatively low temperatures. When the oxidized compound is para-xylene and the product from the oxidation reaction is crude terephthalic acid (CTA), such CTA product can be purified and separated by more economical techniques than could be employed if the CTA were formed by a conventional high-temperature oxidation process.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process to produce a purified carboxylic acid product. The process comprises removing impurities from a crude carboxylic acid slurry in a solid-liquid displacement zone to form a slurry product. The slurry product if further treated in a staged oxidation zone and a crystallization zone to from a crystallized product. The crystallized product is further cooled in a cooling zone and subsequently filtered and dried in a filtration and drying zone. The process produces purified carboxylic acid product having good color and low impurity levels without the use of purification steps like hydrogenation.

Abstract: A process comprising contacting a liquid polyester stream with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst comprising a metal supported on the surface of silicon carbide at a metal dispersion of at least 0.5% or graphite at a metal dispersion of at least 10% to produce a treated liquid polyester stream. The treated stream may be polycondensed in the presence of a polycondensation catalyst to produce a polyester polymer having an It.V. of at least 0.55 dL/g. The liquid polyester stream desirably has a composition comprising: a) terephthalic acid residues, isophthalic acid residues, and/or naphthalenedicarboxylic acid residues and b) an average degree of polymerization of 0.5 to 20 and c) an acid number ranging from 5 to 600.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process of hydrogenating a polyester oligomer containing terephthalic acid residues wherein terephthalic acid residues are converted to residues of 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid. Also disclosed is a process for the preparation of polyesters containing 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid residues by first hydrogenating a polyester oligomer containing terephthalic acid residues and then reacting the resulting oligomer with one or more polyester-forming reactants to produce a higher molecular weight polyester.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the purification of a polyester precursor wherein a polyester oligomer derived from terephthalic acid and one or more glycols or diols is purified or decolorized by hydrogenating the oligomer to convert colored impurities to colorless compounds and thereby improve the color of the oligomer. The colored impurities are present in the terephthalic acid used to prepare the oligomers and are formed during the manufacture of terephthalic acid. The purified/decolorized oligomer obtained from the disclosed process may be used to prepare high molecular weight polyesters.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved process for the hydrogenation of phthalic acids over a supported palladium catalyst. Phthalic acids are hydrogenated with improved selectivity in aqueous solution over palladium on carbon catalyst to give cyclohexanedicarboxylic acids (CHDA).

Abstract: This invention is directed to the use of triglycerides containing fatty ester moieties that include arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in enteral nutritionals or nutritional supplements. These triglycerides are derived from lipid mixtures which have high levels of sterols and phosphorous. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises an infant or enteral nutritional, or nutritional supplement, that comprises a lipid source derived from egg yolk. The lipid source derived from egg yolk is prepared by transesterification or hydrolysis, subjecting the mixture to distillation, and esterification with glycerin to result in a triglyceride containing the desired fatty acids of AA and DHA and little or no sterols and phosphorus.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the isolation of fatty acids and fatty acid esters from complex naturally occurring mixtures which contain sterols, triglycerides and phospholipids.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for removing sterols and phosphorous compounds from naturally occurring lipid mixtures. The process involves hydrolyzing a naturally occurring lipid mixture containing phospholipids, triglycerides, and sterols to form a two-phase product containing a fatty acid phase comprised of free fatty acids and sterols, and an aqueous phase comprised of water, glycerol, and glycerol phosphoric acid esters. The aqueous phase is separated from the fatty acid phase and the crude fatty acid phase is heated to convert the free sterols to fatty acid sterol esters. The free fatty acids are distilled from the fatty acid sterol esters to yield purified fatty acids which are free of cholesterol and other sterols, and phosphorous compounds.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the purification of a naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (NDA) which has been manufactured by the oxidation of a dialkylnaphthalene in the presence of a molecular oxygen-containing gas and a heavy metal-containing catalyst and contains metal residues, e.g., cobalt and manganese residues, as impurities. The process involves contacting an acetic acid slurry of a NDA, typically 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, containing such metals, with acetic anhydride.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved process for the preparation of tocotrienol/tocopherol blend concentrates from vegetable oil distillates which are enriched in tocotrienols. Tocotrienol/tocopherol blend concentrates are obtained containing 20-80% tocotrienols/tocopherols by weight, with an overall recovery of tocotrienols/tocopherols of 72% to 97%. The process is comprised first of an esterification reaction where the more volatile alcohols are converted to their less volatile fatty acid esters, followed by a series of distillation steps where components boiling higher and lower than the tocotrienols/tocopherols are separated from tocotrienols/tocopherols and other like boiling substances. Advantages of the process are that tocotrienol/tocopherol blend concentrates are produced efficiently and economically in a minimum number of steps without the use of solvents and with a relatively small capital investment.