US 12,435,024 B2
Process for treating polyester methanolysis depolymerization product streams
William Christopher Ketchie, Kingsport, TN (US); Noah Glenn McMillan, Kingsport, TN (US); Michael Paul Ekart, Kingsport, TN (US); and Travis Wynn Keever, Jonesborough, TN (US)
Assigned to Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport, TN (US)
Appl. No. 17/757,386
Filed by Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport, TN (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 16, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/065254
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 15, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/126936, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 24, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/950,605, filed on Dec. 19, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0022664 A1, Jan. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. C07C 67/60 (2006.01); C07C 29/90 (2006.01); C08J 11/24 (2006.01)
CPC C07C 67/60 (2013.01) [C07C 29/90 (2013.01); C08J 11/24 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
 
1. A method for treating the product stream from a polyester methanolysis depolymerization process, said product stream comprising dimethyl terephthalate and one or more side species selected from the group consisting of dimethyl phthalate, dimethyl isophthalate, bisphenol-A, an adipic acid diester and one or more colorants, said method comprising
(a) hydrogenating said dimethyl terephthalate to form one or more of dimethyl 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol; and
(b) hydrogenating one or more of said one or more side species of said product stream; wherein at least one of or both of said hydrogenating step a) and said hydrogenating step (b) are performed in the presence of a catalyst.