Phenolchemie Gmbh & Co. Kg

Ineos Phenol & Gmbh Co., Kg

Manfred Weber

Reinhard Sigg

Uwe Tanger

Markus Weber

Otto Schnurr

Siegmund Greschek

Christoph Schwarz

Peter Bickert

Otto Gerlich

Werner Pompetzki

Michael Kleine-Boymann

Heinrich Van Barneveld

Wilfried Jordan

Christian Michalik

Hugo Hjm Liefooghe

Michael Lausmann

Gunther Lohmer

J&uuml;rgen Volke

To improve energy efficiency of prior art processes while preserving the standards of quality and total yield of desired end products, a process for the preparation of phenolic compounds is proposed. The process of the invention comprises working-up of the cleavage product mixtures by distillation, which comprises resolving the cleavage product mixture into at least three fractions in a single distillation step by feeding the cleavage product mixture to the side of a distillation column, removing a first fraction comprising the ketone at the top of the distillation column, removing a second fraction comprising the phenolic compound at the bottom of the distillation column, and removing a third fraction comprising unreacted the alkylaryl compound and the hydroxy ketone, and water, as side stream, whereby the side stream take-off is situated above the feed of cleavage product mixture to the distillation column, characterized by removing heat from the distillation column, whereby the heat take-off is situated above the side stream take-off of the third fraction, and a process for separating phenol from cleavage product mixtures, wherein the cleavage product mixture prior feeding into the distillation column, is preheated to a temperature of above 70&#xb0; C. at standard pressure, preferably to a temperature of above 100&#xb0; C., more preferably to a temperature between 110&#xb0; C. and 180&#xb0; C., most preferred to a temperature of about 140&#xb0; C. to 146&#xb0; C., and an apparatus suitable therefore.

Process for the preparation of phenolic compounds, for separating phenol from cleavage product mixtures, and an apparatus

The present invention relates to a continuous method for treating a crude phenol stream comprising methylbenzofuran and hydroxyacetone by passing the crude phenol stream through at least two reactors connected in series the reactors containing an acidic ion exchange resin, whereby the temperature in successive reactors decreases in flow direction of the phenol stream so that the temperature in the first reactor in flow direction of the phenol stream is between 100&#xb0; C. and 200&#xb0; C. and the temperature in the last reactor in flow direction of the phenol stream is between 50&#xb0; C. and 90&#xb0; C. without a thermal separation step between any of two successive reactors and to the use of this method in a process for making phenol.

Process for treating phenol

The present invention relates to a process for preparing phenols by adding an aqueous base to the reaction product from the acid-catalyzed cleavage of alkylaryl hydroperoxides while maintaining a homogeneous phase prior to the work-up of the product.

Process for preparing phenols

The cleavage product from the acid-catalyzed cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide into phenol and acetone is subjected to thermal after-treatment by a process, which comprises heating the cleavage product in a reactor, wherein the heat supplied for the thermal treatment is the heat generated by at least one exothermic reaction which occurs in the reactor. The exothermic reaction which proceeds in the cleavage product is preferably the cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide.

Process for the thermal after-treatment of cleavage product from the acid-catalyzed cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide

Process for reducing the salt content of fractions comprising high boilers obtained in the preparation of phenol from cumene, by extraction

A process for the cleavage of alkylaryl hydroperoxides includes steps for producing a mixture of a concentrate that contains at least one alkylaryl hydroperoxide to be cleaved and a cleavage product obtained from the cleavage of an alkylaryl hydroperoxide, dividing this mixture into at least two parts and cleaving the alkylaryl hydroperoxides in parallel at different temperatures. One of the two parts is treated at a temperature sufficiently high for an integrated thermal post-treatment to be achieved. The process consumes less energy since less steam has to be used. Problems which can result from fouling in heat exchangers are largely prevented. No second feed point for alkylaryl hydroperoxide has to be provided. The process can be used in the preparation of phenol and acetone by the Hock method.

Process for the cleavage of alkylaryl hydroperoxides

Phenol and acetone are prepared by a process comprising homogeneously cleaving cumene hydroperoxide in the presence of acid catalyst in a cleavage apparatus comprising at least one reactor having plug flow characteristics thereby producing a cleavage product; recycling some of the cleavage product stream by combining the recycled cleavage product stream with the cumene hydroperoxide-containing feed stream fed to said cleavage apparatus under the condition that the mass flow ratio of the recycled partial cleavage product stream to the cumene hydroperoxide-containing feed stream sent to the cleavage reactor is less than 10.

Process for preparing phenol and acetone by acid-catalyzed cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide

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Haltern, Germany

Manfred Weber