Method of purifying a dicarboxylic acid

1. A process for purifying a dicarboxylic acid comprising:

a) ozonizing a mixture comprising an ethylenically unsaturated compound having between 6 to 24 carbons with an ozone-containing gas to form a plurality of ozonization products;

b) cleaving the plurality of ozonization products under oxidative conditions in the presence of a suitable catalyst to form mixed oxidation products, wherein the mixed oxidation products comprise a mixture of C2 to C22 monocarboxylic acids and C2 to C22 dicarboxylic acids that includes the dicarboxylic acid;

c) distilling the mixed oxidation products to provide a first distillate comprising a portion of the C2 to C22 monocarboxylic acids, and a first residue of the mixed oxidation products, wherein the first residue of the mixed oxidation products comprises the dicarboxylic acid and a plurality of impurity acids;

d) distilling the first residue of the mixed oxidation products to provide a second distillate and a second residue of the mixed oxidation products, wherein the second distillate comprises the dicarboxylic acid and a first fraction of the plurality of impurity acids;

(e) partitioning the second distillate between water and an organic solvent, wherein the water is at a temperature within the range of about 175° F., 79° C. to about 230° F., 110° C.; wherein water and the organic solvent are substantially immiscible to thereby form an aqueous layer containing the dicarboxylic acid and an organic solvent layer containing a second fraction of the plurality of impurity acids;

f) separating the organic solvent layer from the aqueous layer;

g) lowering the temperature of the aqueous layer to crystallize at least a portion of the dicarboxylic acid from the aqueous layer to provide a crystallized dicarboxylic acid solid and a mother liquor containing uncrystallized dicarboxylic acid and a major portion of a third fraction of the plurality of impurity acids;

h) separating the crystallized dicarboxylic acid solid from the mother liquor to provide a first batch of the dicarboxylic acid comprising the crystallized dicarboxylic acid solid;

i) melting the first batch of the dicarboxylic acid to form a liquid comprising the dicarboxylic acid; and

j) distilling the liquid comprising the dicarboxylic acid to provide a purified dicarboxylic acid.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein lowering the temperature of the aqueous layer comprises cooling the aqueous layer in a plurality of cooling stages.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein lowering the temperature of the aqueous layer comprises a first cooling stage temperature within a range from about 140° F., 60° C. to about 105° F., 41° C., and a second stage cooling temperature within a range from about 100° F., 38° C. to about 65° F., 18° C.

4. The process of claim 2 , wherein a residence time of the aqueous layer in any cooling stage is about 20 minutes to about 120 minutes.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein distilling the liquid comprising the dicarboxylic acid comprises a first distilling stage and a second distilling stage, wherein the first distilling stage includes distilling the liquid comprising the dicarboxylic acid to remove a first distillate fraction to provide a first residue of the liquid, and the second distilling stage includes distilling the first residue of the liquid to provide the purified dicarboxylic acid.

6. The process of claim 1 , further comprising:

k) evaporating at least a portion of the water from the mother liquor to form a concentrated mother liquor; and

l) isolating the uncrystallized dicarboxylic acid from the concentrated mother liquor to provide a second batch of the dicarboxylic acid.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein isolating the uncrystallized dicarboxylic acid comprises distilling the concentrated mother liquor to provide the second batch of the dicarboxylic acid.

8. The process of claim 6 , wherein isolating the uncrystallized dicarboxylic acid comprises crystallizing at least a portion of the uncrystallized dicarboxylic acid from the concentrated mother liquor to provide the second batch of the dicarboxylic acid.

9. The process of claim 6 , wherein isolating the uncrystallized dicarboxylic acid comprises decreasing a temperature of the concentrated mother liquor below a melting point of uncrystallized dicarboxylic acid to provide a solidified product and flaking the solidified product.

10. The process of claim 6 , further comprising:

m) combining at least a portion of the first and second batches of the dicarboxylic acid prior to distilling the liquid comprising the dicarboxylic acid.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the purified dicarboxylic acid comprises less than 3 wt % of a monocarboxylic acid, wherein the wt % is based on the total weight of the purified dicarboxylic acid.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the purified dicarboxylic acid comprises less than 0.05 wt % of a monocarboxylic acid, wherein the wt % is based on the total weight of the purified dicarboxylic acid.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is a recycled organic solvent provided by a method comprising distilling the organic solvent layer containing the mixture of C9 to C22 monocarboxylic acids to provide a recycled organic solvent, wherein the recycled organic solvent has a content of C9 to C22 monocarboxylic acids in an amount that is less than 1 percent by weight.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the content of C9 to C22 monocarboxylic acids in the recycled organic solvent is less than 0.1 percent by weight.

15. The process of the claim 13 , wherein the content of C9 to C22 monocarboxylic acids in the recycled organic solvent is less than 0.05 percent by weight.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous layer contains less than 1 percent by weight of the organic solvent prior to any subsequent processing step.

17. The process of claim 13 , wherein distilling the organic solvent layer comprises:

1) transferring the organic solvent layer comprising the organic solvent and the mixture of C9 to C22 monocarboxylic acids to a first distillation unit, wherein the organic solvent and the mixture of C9 to C22 monocarboxylic acids are separated by forming an organic solvent vapor; and

2) condensing the organic solvent vapor to form the recycled organic solvent.

18. The process according to claim 17 , wherein the organic solvent vapor further comprises water, which is subsequently removed from the recycled organic solvent.