Process for Producing Phenol and/or Cyclohexanone

A process for producing phenol, the process comprising:

• (a) hydroalkylating benzene with hydrogen in the presence of a hydroalkylation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a hydroalkylation reaction product comprising cyclohexylbenzene;
• (b) contacting at least a portion of the cyclohexylbenzene from the hydroalkylation reaction product with oxygen in the presence of an oxidation catalyst under oxidation conditions effective to produce an oxidation product comprising cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide;
• (c) supplying at least a portion of the oxidation product comprising cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide to a cleavage reaction zone;
• (d) contacting a cleavage reaction mixture comprising the said oxidation product portion in the cleavage reaction zone with a solid acid catalyst under conditions effective to produce a cleavage effluent comprising phenol and cyclohexanone;
• (e) dividing the cleavage effluent into at least a cleavage product and a cleavage recycle;
• and
• (f) supplying the cleavage recycle and a polar solvent to the cleavage reaction zone to produce the cleavage reaction mixture with said oxidation product portion.