A method for removing impurities from a mother liquor comprising a
carboxylic acid, a metal catalyst, impurities by (a) evaporating the
mother liquor comprising a carboxylic acid, a metal catalyst, impurities
and a solvent in a first evaporator zone to produce a vapor stream and a
concentrated mother liquor stream; (b) evaporating the concentrated
mother liquor stream in a second evaporator zone to form a solvent rich
stream and a super concentrated mother liquor stream; (c) mixing in a
mixing zone a water-solvent solution and optionally an extraction solvent
with the super concentrated mother liquor stream to form an aqueous
mixture; (d) optionally separating organic impurities from the aqueous
mixture in a solid-liquid separation zone to form a purified aqueous
mixture; and (e) extracting the aqueous mixture or purified aqueous
mixture with an extraction solvent in an extraction zone to form an
extract stream and the raffinate stream.