| abstract |
A process and an apparatus for producing an aromatic carboxylic acid preventing, on an emergency shutdown or in similar cases of a system, the recycle of a distillate fraction containing a solvent at lower concentration and lower temperature from a distillation column to an oxidation reaction column, to assure an easy restart of the system and to allow a size reduction of the distillation column. In the process and apparatus, the aromatic carboxylic acid is produced from an alkyl aromatic compound, in an oxidation reactor, in a reaction solvent containing an aliphatic carboxylic acid, by way of liquid phase oxidation. A distillation of an exhaust gas of the reactor is conducted in a first distillation column and a second distillation column, wherein the second distillation column is structured so as to allow a reflux to the first distillation column to be drained out of the system when necessary. |