Illa International, L.l.c.

Irina Ivanovna Vassilieva

Vladimir Mikhailovitch Zakoshansky

Andrei K Griaznov

Andrey Budarev

Vasiliy Trubaev

Yuri Nikolaevich Koshelev

Sergey Korchagin

Yuri Ivanovitch Malov

A desalting method for extracting salt from phenol production waste of a phenol process, comprising the steps of:

Method for high efficiency salt removal from phenol process byproducts

A two-step method of crude phenol treatment from impurities, wherein a first step comprises oxidizing hydroxyacetone and aldehydes impurities, in phenol medium by air oxygen with the use of a heterogeneous catalyst which contains transition metals, and a second step comprises treating the unoxidized impurities with the use of a heterogeneous acidic catalyst. The separation of treatment by-products compounds produced during said phenol treatment may then be carried out by a conventional fractionation, distillation, or equivalent method, to produce highly purified product phenol.

Method for removing impurities from phenol

A continuous method of cumene oxidation in a gas-liquid system is provided, where the liquid phase is represented by cumene and its oxidation products and the gas phase is represented by air. The oxidation process can be carried out either in a reactor series or in a single reactor at least one of which is preferably equipped with at least two airlift-type trays. When specific CHP concentration is achieved, the oxidation products are discharged from the to reaction zone and treated in a mixing device with aqueous ammonia or water to remove organic acids such as formic acid, benzoic acid, etc. and to remove phenol, which is an inhibitor of oxidation reaction. The cumene oxidation product stream, free of organic acids and phenol is recycled to the same reactor in the case of single reactor, or is passed to the next reactor of the series in the case of reactor series. In all cases, the oxidation products treated with water or aqueous ammonia is first directed to a unit for separation of aqueous phase from organic products and then anhydrous organic product stream is forwarded to the next reactor of the series, or recycled to the single reactor for the continued cumene oxidation until the required CHP concentration is achieved. The airlift-type trays in at least one process reactor accelerate the cumene oxidation reaction therein while increasing the process selectivity and enabling the process to be conducted at lower temperature, improving safety thereof. Advantageously, lower quality cumene having impurities such as sulfur-containing trace elements, can be used in the inventive process while maintaining a high process selectivity.

Method for production of cumene hydroperoxide

Disclosed is a method for the production of product acetone of higher oxidation stability where the product acetone is produced by a multi-step rectification process in the presence of alkali catalyst. The embodiments of the method of present invention utilize a two-column and a one-column scheme of product acetone rectification from an acetone stream. In a two-column embodiment of the present invention, acetone is taken off in a vapor phase as a side-draw in a first column and directed to a partial condenser wherein it is separated into liquid and vapor phases with a simultaneous feed of aqueous sodium hydroxide solution to the first column above the feed tray. The vapor phase of the partial condenser is forwarded to a second column where the product acetone is rectified and then removed overhead, the bottom products are recycled to the first column feed, and the liquid phase of the partial condenser is treated with alkali and recycled either to the first column or to a neutralization stage of cumene hydroperoxide cleavage products. In a one-column embodiment of the present invention, acetone is taken off in the vapor phase overhead and directed to the partial condenser with the simultaneous feed of the aqueous sodium hydroxide solution above the feed tray. Product acetone is then condensed from the vapor phase and removed.

Method of production of product acetone of high stability to oxidation

A new phenol and acetone production process reduces the amount of necessary stages for obtaining phenol and acetone, results in higher yield of desired products and requires less complex equipment implementation and less energy than current processes of a similar type. The new process comprises a stage of cumene hydroperoxide production via cumene oxidation, a stage of cumene oxidation products concentration to produce technical cumene hydroperoxide and recycle of unreacted cumene to oxidation stage after treatment, a stage of separation of cumene oxidation products in a continuous or cycle adsorption-desorption with the purpose of producing CHP that is free from DMBA and AP utilizing predetermined adsorbents and desorbents, a stage of heterogeneous or homogeneous cumene hydroperoxide cleavage with the use of acidic catalysts to produce at least phenol and acetone, a stage of AP fractionation from AP-cumene fraction and return of cumene to the separation stage, a stage of catalytic DMBA hydrogenation into cumene, and a stage of separating phenol, acetone, and desorbent to produce required product phenol and acetone. This results in (1) elimination of formation of by-products at the CHP cleavage stage and the fractionation stage; (2) simplification and reduced complexity of CHP cleavage products fractionation; and (3) a significant decrease in energy expenses compared to the conventional phenol and acetone production processes.

Wasteless economic method of production of phenol and acetone

Purification of cumene hydroperoxide cleavage products from hydroxyacetone and carbonyl compounds is accomplished via extraction of hydroxyacetone and carbonyl compounds from cleavage products with a circulating water-salt solution in an extractor during an extraction stage and subsequent conversion of hydroxyacetone and other carbonyl compounds into deep condensation products in a HAC reactor operating as a plug-flow reactor or mixing reactor or as their combination. The conversion/condensation process is conducted in the water-salt solution by treating the hydroxyacetone and carbonyl compounds with alkaline agents. Various homogenous and/or heterogeneous alkaline catalysts may be used. Optionally multiple sequential extraction stages may be connected to the HAC reactor for improved performance.

Method of purifying cumene hydroperoxide decomposition products from

Disclosed is a process for the cleavage of technical cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) into phenol, acetone and .alpha.-methylstyrene. In a first stage, the CHP cleavage process is conducted in such a way to maintain the heat generation rate and the heat removal rate balanced in each of the CHP cleavage reactors. The cleavage of the CHP is conducted under substantially isothermal conditions at a temperature in the range of 47-50.degree. C. In the second stage of the process dicumylperoxide (DCP) and dimethylbenzene alcohol (DMBA) cleavage is carried out in a multi-section plug-flow reactor under non-isothermal conditions at a controlled temperature increase. The temperature is controlled with the use of thermocouples installed in each section of the reactor. The obtained temperature profile is compared with the temperature profile required by the kinetic model based on .DELTA.T in each section of the reactor. Based on any obtained fluctuations at least one of the amount of water additionally fed to the reactor, the temperature and the degree of sulfuric acid conversion into NH.sub.4 HSO.sub.4 are adjusted.

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St. Petersburg, Russia

Irina Ivanovna Vassilieva