Process for recovery of cumene hydroperoxide decomposition products by distillation
US7186866B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 14, 2005 |
| Grant date | Mar 6, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 14, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC07C45/82
- WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Products from the decomposition of cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) are recovered by distillation. The majority of the undesirable by-product acetol (hydroxyacetone) is removed from the phenol stream by distillation wherein the majority of the acetol is carried with an overheads stream comprising acetone, cumene and alphamethylstyrene (AMS). Acetol is subsequently separated from acetone by distillation wherein acetone is taken as an overheads stream and acetol remains with a bottoms stream comprising cumene, AMS and phenol. The acetol, along with residual phenol, is extracted from the cumene and AMS by counter-current washing with an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide. The phenol stream is then distilled to separate phenol from cumene, alphamethylstyrene and higher boiling compounds. The phenol, containing only a small amount of acetol, can then be treated to remove methylbenzofuran by treatment with an acidic resin or solid superacid catalyst without formation of significant amounts of additional methylbenzofuran.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.