Processes for preparing 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and esters thereof

Abstract

A process for producing furan dicarboxylic acid or an ester thereof from a feedstock comprising hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) and humins is disclosed. Humins are a byproduct from reactions forming HMF from sugars and are typically removed from the HMF prior to any further processing. A humins-containing HMF feedstock is utilized to produce furan dicarboxylic acids and ester substantially free from humins.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process comprising:
 a) oxidizing a feedstock comprising hydroxymethyl furfural and humins to produce a mixture comprising crude humins-containing 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid;   b) separating the mixture to obtain a solid 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid/humins composition;   c) esterifying the solid 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid/humins composition with an alcohol to produce a crude ester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid; and   d) purifying the crude ester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid obtained in step c) by distillation or by sublimation to produce a purified ester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid substantially free of humins.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the purified ester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid is 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester. 
     
     
         3 . A process comprising:
 i) oxidizing a feedstock comprising hydroxymethyl furfural and humins in a solvent to produce a mixture comprising crude humins-containing 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid;   ii) filtering the mixture under high temperature to obtain a filtrate comprising 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid substantially free of humins, wherein the filtration temperature is sufficiently high to keep the 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid soluble in the solvent;   iii) esterifying the 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid substantially free of humins with an alcohol to produce a crude ester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid; and   iv) purifying the crude ester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid obtained in step iii) by distillation or sublimation to obtain a purified ester.   
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 3  wherein the ester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid is 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 3  wherein the high temperature of the filtration step ii) is in the range of from 50° C. to 200° C. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 3  wherein the solvent is acetic acid or acetic acid and water. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 3  wherein the purified ester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid comprises less than 100 ppm humins as determined by size exclusion chromatography, a b* value of less than 3 as determined by LAB color measurement, and greater than 99 percent by weight of the diester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid, based on the total weight of the purified ester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the alcohol is replaced with an alcohol source. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the purified ester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid comprises less than 100 ppm humins as determined by size exclusion chromatography, a b* value of less than 3 as determined by LAB color measurement, and greater than 99 percent by weight of the diester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid, based on the total weight of the purified ester of 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the alcohol is replaced with an alcohol source.