Preparation of toluic acids

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF TOLUIC ACIDS FROM THE CORRESPONDING XYLENES WHICH COMPRISES OXIDIZING IN LIQUID PHASE A MATERIAL WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF SUCH XYLENES, UP TO ABOUT 16 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF ETHYL BENZENE, BASED UPON THE WEIGHT OF THE XYLENES AND ETHYL BENZENE, AND UP TO ABOUT 30 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF PARAFFINS AND NAPHTHENES, BASED UPON THE WEIGHT OF THE XYLENES, ETHYL BENZENE, PARAFFINS AND NAPHTHENES, WITH AN OXYGEN-RICH GAS AT A TEMPERATURE OF 130* C, TO 190* C., AT A PRESSURE OF 100 P.S.I.G. TO 500 P.S.I.G. AND WHICH DOES NOT EXCEED THAT WHICH ALLOWS THE MAJORITY OF WATER FORMED TO BE REMOVED AS A GASEOUS EFFLUENT STREAM AND USING AS A CATALYST A SALT WHICH IS SOLUBLE IN THE REACTION MIXTURE AND WHICH IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COBALT SALTS, MANGANESE SALTS AND CERIUM SALTS, THE OXIDATION BEING CARRIED OUT IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EXTRANEOUS SOLVENT AND UNTIL FROM 10 TO 50 PER CENT OF THE AROMATIC COMPOUNDS INITIALLY PRESENT IN THE REACTION MIXTURE HAVE BEEN COVERTED TO OCYGEN-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS, AND SEPARATING TOLUIC ACIDS FROM THE REACTION MIXTURE.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF TOLUIC ACIDS FROM THE CORRESPONDING XYLENES WHICH COMPRISES OXIDIZING IN LIQUID PHASE A MATERIAL WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF SUCH XYLENES, UP TO ABOUT 16 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF ETHYL BENZENE, BASED UPON THE WEIGHT OF THE XYLENES AND ETHYL BENZENE, AND UP TO ABOUT 30 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF PARAFFINS AND NAPHTHENES, BASED UPON THE WEIGHT OF THE XYLENES, ETHYL BENZENE, PARAFFINS AND NAPHTHENES, WITH AN OXYGEN-RICH GAS AT A TEMPERATURE OF 130* C, TO 190* C., AT A PRESSURE OF 100 P.S.I.G. TO 500 P.S.I.G. AND WHICH DOES NOT EXCEED THAT WHICH ALLOWS THE MAJORITY OF WATER FORMED TO BE REMOVED AS A GASEOUS EFFLUENT STREAM AND USING AS A CATALYST A SALT WHICH IS SOLUBLE IN THE REACTION MIXTURE AND WHICH IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COBALT SALTS, MANGANESE SALTS AND CERIUM SALTS, THE OXIDATION BEING CARRIED OUT IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EXTRANEOUS SOLVENT AND UNTIL FROM 10 TO 50 PER CENT OF THE AROMATIC COMPOUNDS INITIALLY PRESENT IN THE REACTION MIXTURE HAVE BEEN COVERTED TO OCYGEN-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS, AND SEPARATING TOLUIC ACIDS FROM THE REACTION MIXTURE.