Rhodia Operations

Bruno Heinisch

Hubert Gayet

Jean-Claude Le Thiesse

Pascal Pitiot

Jean-Louis Grieneisen

The invention relates to a method for preparing optionally substituted P-hydroxymandelic compounds and derivatives thereof. The method for preparing the mandelic compounds of the invention comprises condensing in water, in the presence of an alkaline agent, an aromatic compound bearing at least one hydroxyl group and having a free para position, with glycoxylic acid, wherein said method is characterised in that said reaction is carried out in a piston-flow reactor.

Method for preparing optionally substituted p-hydroxymandelic compounds and derivatives thereof

Separation and purification of hydroquinone from crude mixtures thereof essentially containing hydroquinone in combination with very small amounts of impurities including resorcinol and pyrogallol, include a topping distillation allowing the resorcinol to be removed as the distillation top product, and allowing a crude mixture essentially containing hydroquinone and the heavy impurities to be recovered at the column bottom, such mixture then being subjected to a bottoming distillation which allows the pyrogallol to be removed at the column bottom and allows hydroquinone in a purified form to be recovered at the column top.

Separation and purification of hydroquinone from crude mixtures thereof

Purified hydroquinone is prepared and formed from raw compounds essentially containing hydroquinone associated with very small quantities of impurities including resorcinol and pyrogallol, and includes a distillation purification step in which the resorcinol and pyrogallol are eliminated, directly followed by a step in which the purified hydroquinone is formed.

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Villeurbanne, France

Bruno Heinisch