Method for purification of benzoic acid

1. A method for purifying a crude benzoic acid stream containing 5 to 20% by weight of byproducts and 80 to 95% by weight of benzoic acid, by means of distillation, the method comprising delivering the crude benzoic acid stream to a plant comprising a first distillation system, wherein the first distillation system comprises a divided wall column, thereby providing a purified benzoic acid stream.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the divided wall column comprises:

an upper portion having an upper undivided section for concentrating low-boiling components, wherein the low-boiling components have a lower boiling point than benzoic acid, and an outlet for removal of the low-boiling components from the divided wall column,

a lower portion having a lower undivided section for concentrating high-boiling components, wherein the high-boiling components have a higher boiling point than benzoic acid, and an outlet for removal of the high-boiling components from the divided wall column, and

a central portion arranged between the upper portion and the lower portion having at least one vertical dividing wall for dividing the central portion into at least one feed section and at least one withdrawal section, the feed section having an inlet for the feed of crude benzoic acid and the withdrawal section having a side draw outlet for the purified benzoic acid.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a separation means is arranged in at least one of the upper undivided section, the lower undivided section, the feed section and the withdrawal section.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the separation means is selected from the group consisting of trays, random packings, structured packings and any combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the separation means is a structured packing having a specific surface area in the range of 125 to 900 m2/m3.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crude benzoic acid introduced into the divided wall column comprises 5 to 20% by weight of at least one byproduct selected from the group consisting of acetophenone, benzaldehyde, benzyl formate, benzyl acetate, acetic acid, methyl benzoate, fluorenone, toluene, benzyl benzoate, phthalic acid, benzyl alcohol, 2-methyl-diphenyl benzoate, diphenyl benzoate, 2,2-dimethyl-diphenyl benzoate, 2,3-dimethyl-diphenyl benzoate, 3-methyl-diphenyl benzoate, 3,3-dimethyl-diphenyl benzoate and any combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a pressure and a temperature at a bottom of the divided wall column are in the ranges of 50 to 500 mbar and 120 to 240° C.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a pressure and a temperature at a head of the divided wall column are in the ranges of 55 to 505 mbar and 125 to 245° C.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a residence time of benzoic acid in the divided wall column measured in the sump is between 120 and 1,440 minutes.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the divided wall column comprises a column boot having a cross-sectional area that is about 15 to 40% of a diameter of the divided wall column.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plant comprises at least one of a falling film evaporator and a film reboiler.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first distillation system does not include any further distillation column in addition to the divided wall column.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crude benzoic acid is subjected to a distillation in a second distillation system prior to the distillation in the first distillation system, wherein the distillation in the second distillation system is performed so that low-boiling components selected from the group consisting of water, toluene, catalyst and a combination thereof are removed from the crude benzoic acid before it is fed to the first distillation system.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the purified benzoic acid stream removed from the divided wall column is subjected to a further purification step, which comprises at least one melt crystallization step.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the further purification step is a suspension crystallization, a static crystallization, a falling film crystallization or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one melt crystallization step is a combination of a falling film crystallization and a static crystallization, wherein the purified benzoic acid stream removed from the divided wall column is first introduced into a falling film crystallizer and thereafter a residue from the falling film crystallizer is introduced into a static crystallizer.

17. A plant for purifying a crude benzoic acid by means of distillation, the plant comprising:

i) a supply line containing oxygen or compressed air,

ii) a supply line containing transition metal catalyst,

iii) a supply line containing toluene and

iv) a reactor for the partial oxidation of toluene with oxygen for form crude benzoic acid, the reactor having at least two inlets and an outlet,

wherein the supply line containing oxygen or compressed air, the supply line containing transition metal catalyst and the supply line containing toluene are all in fluid communication with the reactor for feeding oxygen or compressed air, transition metal catalyst and toluene to the reactor, wherein a first distillation system, which comprises a divided wall column, is in fluid communication with the outlet of the reactor for the partial oxidation of toluene with oxygen to form crude benzoic acid.

18. The plant of claim 17 , wherein the plant is configured to carry out a method for purifying a crude benzoic acid containing 5 to 20% by weight of byproducts and 80 to 95% by weight of benzoic acid, by means of distillation.