Methods And Systems For Separating Acetone And Phenol From One Another

A method for producing acetone, comprising:

• introducing an oxidant and a first cumene containing stream to an oxidation unit to produce an oxidized cumene hydro-peroxide (CHP) product;
• introducing the oxidized CHP product and a second cumene containing stream to a concentration unit to produce a concentrated CHP product;
• introducing the concentrated CHP product to a cleavage unit to produce a crude acetone;
• introducing the crude acetone to a neutralization unit to produce a neutralized crude acetone;
• introducing the neutralized crude acetone, cumene, and AMS to a fractionation column to produce an acetone containing overhead and a bottoms product comprising phenol;
• and
• introducing the acetone containing overhead and a coolant comprising at least a portion of the first cumene containing stream to a condenser.

A system for separating a phenol and acetone mixture, comprising:

• a fractionation column;
• a first column inlet configured to introduce a crude acetone product comprising phenol and acetone to an internal volume of the fractionation column;
• a second column inlet configured to introduce a feed comprising cumene, alpha-methyl styrene, or a mixture thereof to the internal volume of the fractionation column;
• a column overhead line fluidly coupled to the fractionation column and configured to recover a light hydrocarbon product comprising acetone therefrom;
• a condenser fluidly coupled to the column overhead line and configured to exchange heat between the light hydrocarbon product and a coolant to provide a cooled light hydrocarbon and a heated coolant, wherein the coolant is in fluid communication with the first column inlet;
• and
• a bottoms line fluidly coupled to the fractionation column, proximal the bottom thereof, and configured to remove a heavy hydrocarbon product comprising phenol therefrom.