Bayer Aktiengesellschaft

Eike Gabel

Heinz U Blank

Horst Behre

Dietmar Mayer

Werner Mentzel

Wilfried Kohler

Horst-Dieter Kramer

Ernst Goldschmitt

4-Hydroxydiphenyl (mono-OD) and 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenyl (DOD) are obtained simultaneously from a mixture which contains these two substances, if such a mixture is treated with an aqueous alkali, and the resulting solution and the solid phase formed are separated at a temperature from -28.degree. C. to +40.degree. C. and the solution and the solid phase are acidified separately in order to form the free mono-OD and DOD. Mono-OD and DOD can be present in the starting mixture in the free form or in the form of the alkali metal phenolates. After formation of the alkali metal phenolates, where this is required, the aqueous alkali still contains 1-15 mol of alkali metal hydroxide per mol of the diphenyl compounds. The concentration of alkali metal hydroxide should be 4-25% by weight, relative to the amount of water present. In this process, it is also possible to employ industrial mixtures of the alkali melts of the associated diphenyl-sulphonic acids.

Process for the simultaneous recovery of 4-hydroxy-diphenyl and

Hydroxydiphenyls can be prepared by reacting diphenylsulphonic acids or their alkali metal salts with an alkali metal hydroxide at elevated temperature and elevated pressure, in the presence of water. For this purpose, the diphenylsulphonic acids or their alkali metal salts are reacted, at a temperature between 280.degree. and 330.degree. C. and a pressure of up to 120 bar, with an amount of aqueous alkali metal hydroxide having a concentration of at least 50% by weight, such that, after all acidic groups have been neutralized, 3 to 25 mols of alkali metal hydroxide per equivalent of sulphonate group are present in the reaction mixture. Mineral acids are added to the alkaline reaction mixture, after it has been cooled and diluted with water, until the pH value is less than 8, and the precipitated hydroxydiphenyl is isolated at a temperature from -5.degree. C. to +100.degree. C.

Process for the preparation of alkali metal diphenylates and free

3-Hydroxybenzoic acid is obtained by reaction with an alkali metal hydroxide at a temperature of 220.degree. to 450.degree. C. and under a pressure of 1 to 120 bars, from a technical 3-sulphobenzoic acid mixture which contains sulphuric acid and/or sulphur trioxide and which contains at least 75% by weight of 3-sulphobenzoic acid, relative to the total organic constituents present, and not more than 35% by weight of sulphuric acid and/or SO.sub.3, relative to the total mass. For this purpose, this technical 3-sulphobenzoic acid mixture, if desired after dilution with an equal volume of water, is mixed with sufficient 50 to 100% strength by weight alkali metal hydroxide wherein the remaining 50 to 0% by weight consists essentially of water, for 2.5 to 8 mols of alkali metal hydroxide to be present per mol of 3-sulphobenzoic acid, after neutralization of the sulphuric acid and all the sulpho and carboxyl groups. In general, 10 to 45% by weight of water are present in the batch. The reaction mixture is acidified with a mineral acid to a pH value of less than 4, if appropriate after dilution with water, and the 3-hydroxybenzoic acid is isolated at temperatures within the range from -5.degree. C. to +40.degree. C.

Process for the preparation of 3-hydroxybenzoic acid

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Eike Gabel