Process for making cyclohexanone and/or phenol
AssigneeExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
InventorsKeith H. Kuechler, Jörg F. W. Weber, Ashley J. Poucher, Jason D. Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a process for separating a mixture comprising cyclohexanone and phenol, a solid-phase basic material, such as basic ion-exchange resin, is used to remove acid and/or sulfur from the mixture prior to separation. The process results in reduced amount of contamination such as cyclic ethers in the cyclohexanone and/or phenol products.
Claims22
A process for separating a first mixture comprising cyclohexanone, phenol, cyclohexylbenzene, and a sulfuric acid, comprising the following steps:
- (I) contacting the first mixture with a pre-distillation solid-phase basic material to produce a second mixture comprising the sulfuric acid at a concentration lower than in the first mixture;
- (II) supplying the second mixture into a distillation column operating at a temperature of at least 120° C. and no higher than the decomposition temperature of the sulfuric acid;
- (III) obtaining an upper effluent and a lower effluent from the first distillation column, wherein the upper effluent has a higher concentration in cyclohexanone than the lower effluent, and the lower effluent has a higher cyclohexylbenzene concentration than the upper effluent;
- (IV) supplying at least a portion of the upper effluent and an extractive distillation solvent into an extractive distillation column, wherein portion of the upper effluent is obtained by contacting a part of the upper effluent with a pre-extraction solid-phase basic material which is the same as or different from the pre-distillation solid-phase basic material;
- (V) obtaining an upper cyclohexanone effluent and a lower extraction effluent from the extractive distillation column wherein the upper cyclohexanone effluent comprises cyclohexanone at a concentration of at least 90 wt %, and the lower extraction effluent comprises phenol and the extractive distillation solvent;
- (VI) supplying at least a portion of the lower extraction effluent to a solvent distillation column;
- and
- (VII) obtaining an upper phenol effluent and a lower solvent effluent from the solvent distillation column.
A process for making phenol and/or cyclohexanone from an extraction distillation feed comprising phenol and cyclohexanone, comprising the following steps:
- (i) controlling the concentration of an acid in the extraction distillation feed at a level no greater than 10 ppm by weight, based on the total weight of the extraction distillation feed, by contacting at least a portion of the extraction distillation feed with a pre-extraction solid-phase basic material;
- (ii) supplying at least a portion of the extraction distillation feed and an extractive distillation solvent into an extractive distillation column;
- (iii) obtaining an upper cyclohexanone effluent and a lower extraction effluent from the extractive distillation column, wherein the upper cyclohexanone effluent comprises cyclohexanone at a concentration of at least 90 wt %, and the lower extraction effluent comprises phenol and the extractive distillation solvent;
- (iv) supplying at least a portion of the lower extraction effluent to a solvent distillation column;
- and
- (v) obtaining an upper phenol effluent and a lower solvent effluent from the solvent distillation column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.