Patents by Inventor Thomas Earl Woodruff
Thomas Earl Woodruff has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8153840Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2010Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: Grupo Petrotemex, S.A. de C.V.Inventors: Thomas Earl Woodruff, Alan George Wonders
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Patent number: 7884232Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2006Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Alan George Wonders, Thomas Young Lightfoot, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Charles Helton Hitchcock, David Lee Denton, Carl Norman McCurry
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Patent number: 7829037Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2007Date of Patent: November 9, 2010Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Thomas Earl Woodruff, Alan George Wonders
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Patent number: 7816556Abstract: Disclosed is an optimized system for more efficiently and economically producing terephthalic acid. The system includes a multi-stage oxidative digestion system for processing an improved initial slurry from primary oxidation. The multi-stage digestion system is capable of adequately purifying the improved initial slurry without requiring significant liquor exchange between primary oxidation and oxidative digestion.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2006Date of Patent: October 19, 2010Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Alan George Wonders, Ronald Buford Sheppard, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Martin De Boer, Raymond Elbert Fogle
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Publication number: 20100200804Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2010Publication date: August 12, 2010Applicant: EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANYInventors: Thomas Earl Woodruff, Alan George Wonders
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Patent number: 7772424Abstract: Disclosed is an optimized system for more efficiently and economically producing terephthalic acid. The system employs an evaporative removal step downstream of oxidative digestion. The evaporative removal step removes a portion of the liquid phase and promotes precipitation of certain aromatic impurities. By promoting precipitation of certain aromatic impurities, the amount of the precipitated impurities in the recycled solvent is advantageously reduced.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2006Date of Patent: August 10, 2010Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Alan George Wonders, Ronald Buford Sheppard, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Martin De Boer, Raymond Elbert Fogle, Philip Edward Gibson, Kenny Randolph Parker
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Patent number: 7683210Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2005Date of Patent: March 23, 2010Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Alan George Wonders, Thomas Young Lightfoot, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Charles Helton Hitchcock, David Lee Denton, Carl Norman McCurry
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Patent number: 7586000Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2005Date of Patent: September 8, 2009Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Alan George Wonders, Thomas Young Lightfoot, Charles Edwan Sumner, Jr., Thomas Earl Woodruff, Ernest William Arnold, III, Eric Jackson Fugate, Charles Helton Hitchcock, Brent Alan Tennant, John David Aycock
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Patent number: 7491369Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2007Date of Patent: February 17, 2009Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Alan George Wonders, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Ronald Buford Sheppard, Wayne Scott Strasser
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Patent number: 7358392Abstract: Disclosed is a process to produce a purified carboxylic acid slurry. The process comprises removing impurities from a crystallized product in a solid liquid displacement zone to form the purified carboxylic acid slurry. The process produces purified carboxylic acid slurry having good color and low impurity levels without the use of purification steps like hydrogenation or an impurity removal process.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2006Date of Patent: April 15, 2008Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Ronald Buford Sheppard, Brent Alan Tennant, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Robert Lin, Ruairi Seosamh O'Meadhra
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Patent number: 7358389Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2006Date of Patent: April 15, 2008Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Alan George Wonders, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Ronald Buford Sheppard, Wayne Scott Strasser
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Patent number: 7355068Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2006Date of Patent: April 8, 2008Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Alan George Wonders, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Ronald Buford Sheppard, Wayne Scott Strasser
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Patent number: 7342128Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for oxidizing a slurry composition in a post oxidation zone in the presence of added steam. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process for oxidizing a crude terephthalic acid composition in a post oxidation zone in the presence of added steam in a process for the production of a crystallized post oxidation composition.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2005Date of Patent: March 11, 2008Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Robert Lin, Marcel de Vreede, Johannes Wilhelmus Sluijmers, Martin De Boer, Thomas Earl Woodruff
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Publication number: 20070244340Abstract: Disclosed is an optimized system for more efficiently and economically producing terephthalic acid. The system employs an evaporative removal step downstream of oxidative digestion. The evaporative removal step removes a portion of the liquid phase and promotes precipitation of certain aromatic impurities. By promoting precipitation of certain aromatic impurities, the amount of the precipitated impurities in the recycled solvent is advantageously reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2006Publication date: October 18, 2007Inventors: Alan George Wonders, Ronald Buford Sheppard, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Martin De Boer, Raymond Elbert Fogle, Philip Edward Gibson, Kenny Randolph Parker
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Patent number: 7161027Abstract: Disclosed is a process to produce a purified carboxylic acid slurry. The process comprises removing impurities from a crystallized product in a solid liquid displacement zone to form the purified carboxylic acid slurry. The purified carboxylic acid slurry 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 or filtrate purge.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2003Date of Patent: January 9, 2007Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Ronald Buford Sheppard, Brent Alan Tennant, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Robert Lin
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Patent number: 7074954Abstract: Disclosed is a process to produce a purified carboxylic acid slurry. The process comprises removing impurities from a crystallized product in a solid liquid displacement zone to form the purified carboxylic acid slurry. The process produces purified carboxylic acid slurry having good color and low impurity levels without the use of purification steps like hydrogenation or an impurity removal process.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2003Date of Patent: July 11, 2006Assignee: Eastman Chemical CompanyInventors: Ronald Buford Sheppard, Brent Alan Tennant, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Robert Lin
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Publication number: 20040215036Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for heating a secondary oxidizer with steam. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process for heating a secondary oxidizer with steam in a process for the production of a crystallized product.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2003Publication date: October 28, 2004Inventors: Robert Lin, Marcel de Vreede, John Sluijmers, Martin de Boer, Thomas Earl Woodruff
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Publication number: 20040110981Abstract: Disclosed is a process to produce a purified carboxylic acid slurry. The process comprises removing impurities from a crystallized product in a solid liquid displacement zone to form the purified carboxylic acid slurry. The purified carboxylic acid slurry 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 or filtrate purge.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2003Publication date: June 10, 2004Inventors: Ronald Buford Sheppard, Brent Alan Tennant, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Robert Lin
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Publication number: 20040110980Abstract: Disclosed is a process to produce a purified carboxylic acid slurry. The process comprises removing impurities from a crystallized product in a solid liquid displacement zone to form the purified carboxylic acid slurry. The process produces purified carboxylic acid slurry having good color and low impurity levels without the use of purification steps like hydrogenation or an impurity removal process.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2003Publication date: June 10, 2004Inventors: Ronald Buford Sheppard, Brent Alan Tennant, Thomas Earl Woodruff, Robert Lin