Integrated process for the production of bisphenol A from cumene hydroperoxide

US7491855B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Sabic Innovative Plastics B.V. · NL

Inventors

• Pramod Kumbhar · Savanuru, IN
• Jegadeesh Thampi · Bengaluru, IN
• Bharat Singh · Brooklyn, US
• John W. Fulmer · Greenwood, US
• Prashant Tatake · Hyderabad, IN

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 4, 2003
• Grant date: Feb 17, 2009
• Expiry date: Oct 23, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/52
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Use of a specific combination of catalysts for the first and second steps of the process for the conversion of CHP to BPA provides high yields of BPA and low impurity yields, without a requirement for the intermediate purification steps. In the first step, CHP is cleaved in the presence of an acid treated clay such as acid treated Montmorillonite clay to produce phenol and acetone. In the second step, the phenol and acetone produced is reacted, preferably without intermediate purification, in the presence of a cation exchange resin catalyst that includes a cation exchange resin and a mercaptan or mercaptoalkanoic acid promoter to produce BPA.