POWER SAVING AND HIGHLY SELECTIVE METHOD OF PREPARING PHENOL AND ACETONE Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: chemical industry. SUBSTANCE: phenol and acetone are prepared by acid decomposition of industrial cumene hydroperoxide resulting from oxidation of cumene. Decomposition of cumene hydroperoxide is carried out after concentration of oxidation products to residual content of cumene of 21-30 wt % in cumene hydroperoxide in mixing reactors at phenol to acetone to cumene molar ratio of 1: 1: (0.38- 0.61). Dicumylperoxide is decomposed in displacement reactor at molar ratio of the same mixture components of 1: (1-0.77): (0.35-0.87) at 150-168 C with cumene fraction and water fed thereto. Degree of conversion of dicumylperoxide is more than 97%. Cumene fraction and water are further fed to acid catalyst (sulfuric acid) neutralization stage and additional cumene fraction is subsequently isolated and some cumene fraction is recycled to dicumylperoxide decomposition reactor and to neutralization stage. Due to higher content of cumenes in decomposition products, content of salts therein after neutralization stage is 10-20 ppm. Total steam consumption is reduced by 0.4-0.6 t/per ton of phenol. Process is highly selective, cumene consumption is 1302- 1303 kg per ton of phenol, and process is accompanied by lower amounts of hydroxyacetone and mesityl oxide. EFFECT: more efficient preparation method. 7 dwg, 9 ex, 3 tbl