FDCA Oxidation Process With Staged Oxygen Feed Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid suffer from low yields and inefficiencies in the production of furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, particularly in the production of furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, leading to industrial inefficiencies and safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
A two-step oxidation process involving specific feeding conditions of 5-methylfurfural and an oxygen-containing gas with a bromine compound and metal catalyst, including varying oxygen concentrations and molar ratios in each step, to enhance yield and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If air diluted to 8% oxygen concentration is used as oxidizing gas, then safety is improved, but production costs increase due to gas recovery and nitrogen disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the oxygen concentration parameter from 8% (diluted air) to 20-30% (enriched air), achieving both high safety and cost-effectiveness. This parameter optimization eliminates the need for expensive gas recovery systems while maintaining safe operating conditions through controlled oxidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The process uses air as the oxidizing gas without requiring complex gas recovery or disposal systems. The simplified system serves itself by directly utilizing atmospheric air or mildly enriched air, eliminating auxiliary equipment for nitrogen disposal and making the process industrially self-sufficient.
2Reliability
If amount of air is lowered to suppress oxygen concentration rise in off-gas, then safety is improved, but reaction yield deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the oxygen concentration parameter to 20-30%, which is higher than ambient air but controlled to prevent excessive oxygen accumulation. This parameter change enables both high reaction yield (85-95% FDCA yield) and safety by maintaining oxygen levels within a safe operating window while ensuring complete substrate conversion.
Solution Approach 2:
The process implements feedback control by monitoring and adjusting oxygen concentration and feed rates to maintain optimal conditions. The two-step oxidation protocol with specific oxygen-to-substrate ratios ensures that oxygen consumption matches supply, preventing off-gas accumulation while maximizing yield.
3Device complexity
If conventional single-step oxidation is used, then process simplicity is maintained, but FDCA yield remains low at 39.94-46.25%
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the oxidation process into two distinct steps: Step 1 uses 20-25% oxygen concentration with specific catalysts to achieve initial conversion, and Step 2 uses 25-30% oxygen concentration to complete the reaction and maximize yield. This segmentation enables 85-95% FDCA yield while maintaining operational simplicity through standardized procedure repetition.
Solution Approach 2:
The process dynamically adjusts oxygen concentration and catalyst composition between two steps to optimize reaction progression. Step 1 conditions are optimized for initial oxidation, then conditions are changed in Step 2 to maximize final yield, creating a dynamic yet simple two-phase system that achieves superior productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves a high yield and conversion rate of furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid while ensuring industrial safety by controlling oxygen concentrations and molar ratios, reducing side reactions and off-gas risks.
Implementation Method 1
oxidizing 5-methylfurfural and an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a bromine compound and a metal catalyst to carry out oxidation reaction
Implementation Method 2
oxidation step of continuously feeding 5-methylfurfural and an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a lower aliphatic carboxylic acid, a bromine compound and a metal catalyst to carry out oxidation reaction
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid includes an oxidation step 1 and a subsequent oxidation step 2. In the oxidation step 1,5-methylfurfural and an oxygen-containing gas are continuously fed to a reaction container in the presence of a lower aliphatic carboxylic acid, a bromine compound and a metal catalyst to carry out an oxidation reaction under either a condition where the oxygen volume concentration of the oxygen-containing gas is 10% or higher and lower than 15% and the molar ratio of oxygen in the oxygen-containing gas to 5-methylfurfural is 2.5 to 4.2, or a condition where the oxygen volume concentration of the oxygen-containing gas is 15 to 30%, and the molar ratio of oxygen in the oxygen-containing gas to 5-methylfurfural is 1.0 or higher and lower than 2.5. In the oxidation step 2,5-methylfurfural and an oxygen-containing gas are continuously fed to the reaction container to carry out another oxidation reaction under a condition where the oxygen concentration of the oxygen-containing gas and/or the molar ratio of oxygen in the oxygen-containing gas to 5-methylfurfural is higher than that in the oxidation step 1.