Method for producing ketone and/or alcohol, and system thereof

A system for producing a ketone and/or alcohol by decomposing a hydroperoxide and an ester compound in an oxidation reaction solution obtained from oxidizing the hydrocarbon compound with molecular oxygen, in which the ketone and/or alcohol has the same number of carbon atoms as the hydrocarbon compound;

• wherein the system comprises:
• a neutralization unit for neutralizing at least a part of a carboxylic acid in the oxidation reaction solution by contacting the oxidation reaction solution with a first alkaline solution comprising a carbonate of an alkali metal, and separating the reaction mixture into a first oil phase and a first water phase, wherein a content of the hydroperoxide in the first oil phase is more than 90% of a content of the hydroperoxide in the oxidation reaction solution, and a pH of the first water phase is 8.5 or more and 9.55 or less;
• a saponification unit for decomposing the hydroperoxide and the ester compound in the first oil phase by contacting the first oil phase with a second alkaline solution having a higher pH value than the first alkaline solution, and separating the reaction mixture into a second oil phase and a second water phase, wherein a pH of the second water phase is greater than or equal to the pKa of the hydroperoxide and 14.0 or less;
• an unreacted hydrocarbon recovery unit for recovering at least a part of an unreacted hydrocarbon from the second oil phase;
• a purification unit for obtaining the ketone and/or alcohol from the second oil phase after recovering at least a part of the unreacted hydrocarbon by purification;
• a recycling unit for recycling a part or all of the second water phase as a part of the first alkaline solution;
• and
• an alkali recovery unit for recovering the carbonate of an alkali metal from the first water phase and recycling the carbonate of an alkali metal to the first alkaline solution.