Processes for purification, recovery, and conversion of chlorophenol salts and preparation and recovery of products prepared therefrom

A process for removing impurities from a feed mixture comprising 2,5-dichlorophenol (2,5-DCP) and/or a salt thereof, the process comprising:

• heating the 2,5-DCP feed mixture to a temperature of at least about 25° C., the 2,5-DCP feed mixture comprising an organic solvent, 2,5-DCP, 2,5-dichloro-4-nitrophenol (2,5-DCNP), and a plurality of chlorophenol dimers;
• feeding the 2,5-DCP feed mixture into a first extraction zone;
• contacting the feed mixture within the first extraction zone with a first aqueous solution comprising a base, thereby forming a first organic phase extract comprising the organic solvent, 2,5-DCP and the plurality of chlorophenol dimers and forming a first aqueous phase extract comprising 2,5-DCNP and/or salts thereof, the first aqueous phase extract being enriched in 2,5-DCNP and/or salts thereof as compared to the first organic phase extract and the 2,5-DCP feed mixture;
• feeding the first organic phase extract into a second extraction zone and contacting the first organic phase extract with a second aqueous solution comprising a base, thereby forming a second organic phase extract comprising the chlorophenol dimers and forming a second aqueous phase extract comprising 2,5-DCP and/or salts thereof, the second organic phase extract enriched in the chlorophenol dimers as compared to the first organic phase extract and the second aqueous phase extract enriched in 2,5-DCP as compared to the first organic phase extract, wherein the plurality of chlorophenol dimers comprise meta-(chloro-(2,5dichlorophenoxy) phenol) (Meta-CDPP) and ortho-(chloro-(2,5dichlorophenoxy) phenol) (Ortho-CDPP) and the second organic phase extract contains at least about 50 wt % of the dimers present in the first organic phase extract.