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US 11,485,694 B2Granted
Dealklylation and transalkylation of mixed phenols to make cresols
AssigneesChina Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, Uop LLC
InventorsShuguang Zhang, Lubo Zhou
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Processes of producing cresols from a phenols containing feed are described. The processes involve a combination of dealkylation and transalkylation processes. The dealkylation process converts the heavy alkylphenols in an alkylphenols stream to phenol and olefins. The olefins produced in the dealkylation process are separated out. The methylphenols, which are not converted in the dealkylation process, and phenol react in the transalkylation process to generate cresols.
Claims19
A process of producing cresols from a phenols containing feed comprising:
- introducing the phenols containing feed stream into a first separation zone;
- separating the phenol containing feed stream in the first separation zone into at least a phenol stream comprising phenol, an alkylphenol stream comprising heavy methyl phenols and heavy alkylphenols, and a cresols stream comprising cresols, wherein the heavy alkylphenols comprise alkylphenols having alkyl groups containing 2 or more carbon atoms;
- dealkylating the heavy alkylphenols in the alkylphenols stream in a dealkylation reaction zone in the presence of a dealkylation catalyst under dealkylation conditions to produce cresols, phenol, heavy methyl phenols, and olefins forming a dealkylation effluent stream comprising the phenol, the cresols, the heavy methyl phenols, and the olefins;
- separating the dealkylation effluent stream in a dealkylation separation zone into at least an olefin stream comprising the olefins, and a second stream comprising the phenol, the cresols, and the heavy methyl phenols;
- introducing the phenol stream from the first separation zone and the second stream from the dealkylation separation zone to the transalkylation reaction zone;
- transalkylating the phenol and the heavy methyl phenols in the second stream and the phenol in the phenol stream from the first separation zone in a, transalkylation reaction zone in the presence of a transalkylation catalyst under transalkylation conditions to produce additional cresols forming a transalkylation effluent stream comprising the additional cresols, unreacted phenol, unreacted heavy alkylphenols, and unreacted heavy methyl phenols;
- and
- recovering the cresols stream and optionally the olefin stream, or at least a portion of the phenol stream, or both.
5 more elements
A process of producing cresols from a phenols containing feed comprising:
- introducing a phenols containing feed stream into a first separation zone;
- separating the phenols containing feed stream in the first separation zone into at least a phenol stream comprising phenol, an alkylphenol stream comprising heavy methyl phenols and heavy alkylphenols, and a cresols stream comprising cresols, wherein the heavy alkylphenols comprise alkylphenols having alkyl groups containing 2 or more carbon atoms;
- dealkylating the heavy alkylphenols in the alkylphenols stream in a dealkylation reaction zone in the presence of a dealkylation catalyst under dealkylation conditions to produce cresols, phenol, heavy methyl phenols, and olefins forming a dealkylation effluent stream comprising the phenol, the cresols, the heavy methyl phenols, and the olefins;
- separating the dealkylation effluent stream in a dealkylation separation zone into at least an olefin stream comprising the olefins, and a second stream comprising the phenol, the cresols, and the heavy methyl phenols;
- introducing the phenol stream from the first separation zone and the second stream from the dealkylation separation zone to the transalkylation reaction zone;
- transalkylating the phenol and the heavy methyl phenols in the second stream and the phenol in the phenol stream in a transalkylation reaction zone in the presence of a transalkylation catalyst under transalkylation conditions to produce additional cresols forming a transalkylation effluent stream comprising the additional cresols, unreacted phenol, unreacted heavy alkylphenols, and unreacted methyl phenols;
- recycling the transalkylation effluent stream to the first separation zone;
- and
- recovering the cresols stream and one or more of:
- at least a portion of the phenol stream, or the olefins stream.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.