FDCA Purge Process for Solvent Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) from 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (5-HMF) faces challenges in solvent and catalyst recovery, as well as by-product and impurity removal, leading to inefficiencies and environmental impacts due to high carbon burn and low yields in existing processes.
Innovation Solution
A process is developed to recover oxidation solvent and catalyst, and remove by-products and impurities from the solvent stream by oxidizing 5-HMF or its derivatives using a Co/Mn/Br catalyst system in an oxidation zone, followed by cooling, solid-liquid separation, and recycling of mother liquor streams to generate a recycle oxidation solvent and catalyst-rich streams, minimizing solvent and material loss through carbon burn.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing oxidation processes are used to produce FDCA from 5-HMF, then FDCA can be synthesized, but solvent and catalyst recovery is difficult and by-products/impurities accumulate leading to high carbon burn and low yields
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a purge process where a portion of the solvent stream is selectively removed (purged) to eliminate accumulated impurities and by-products, while the majority of the solvent stream is recycled back to the oxidation reactor. This resolves the contradiction by recovering and reusing solvent and catalyst materials, reducing loss while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes specific impurities and by-products from the solvent stream through the purge process, separating harmful substances from the recyclable solvent-catalyst mixture. This enables selective removal of unwanted substances while preserving valuable solvent and catalyst for continued use, thereby improving yield without proportionally increasing material loss.
2Productivity
If existing oxidation processes are used to produce FDCA from 5-HMF, then FDCA can be synthesized, but by-products and impurities accumulate requiring frequent solvent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a feedback mechanism where the solvent stream is continuously monitored for impurity accumulation, and a controlled purge is applied to remove harmful substances when thresholds are reached. This feedback loop maintains solvent quality over extended operation periods, enabling continuous production while controlling by-product and impurity levels.
Solution Approach 2:
By selectively purging impurity-rich portions of the solvent stream while recycling the cleaner portions, the system can operate continuously for extended periods without complete solvent replacement. This resolves the contradiction between maintaining continuous production capability and managing accumulated harmful substances.
3Speed
If high catalyst loading is used to improve oxidation rate, then FDCA production speed increases, but catalyst recovery becomes more difficult and environmental impact increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recycles the catalyst-containing solvent stream back to the oxidation reactor after selective impurity removal, minimizing catalyst discharge and environmental impact. This allows use of sufficient catalyst loading to maintain high oxidation rates while reducing net catalyst loss and environmental harm through continuous recovery and reuse.
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
This process achieves high yields of FDCA while reducing solvent and starting material loss, and effectively recycles catalysts and solvents, enhancing the environmental sustainability and efficiency of the FDCA production process.
Implementation Method 1
oxidizing a feed stream comprising at least one oxidizable compound selected from the following group: 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (5-HMF), 5-(chloromethyl)furfural (5-CMF), 2,5-dimethylfuran (2,5-DMF)... to generate a crude carboxylic acid slurry comprising furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) in an oxidation zone
Implementation Method 2
oxidizing 5-HMF or its derivatives using a Co/Mn/Br catalyst system in an oxidation zone
Implementation Method 3
cooling a crude carboxylic acid slurry in a cooling zone to generate a cooled crude carboxylic acid slurry
Implementation Method 4
removing impurities from a cooled crude carboxylic acid slurry in a solid-liquid separation zone to form a low impurity carboxylic acid stream and a mother liquor stream
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an oxidation process to produce a crude carboxylic acid product carboxylic acid product. The process comprises oxidizing a feed stream comprising at least one oxidizable compound to generate a crude carboxylic acid slurry comprising furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and compositions thereof. Also disclosed is a process to produce a dry purified carboxylic acid product by utilizing various purification methods on the crude carboxylic acid.