Process for the preparation of araliphatic dihydroperoxides

Abstract

Process for the preparation of araliphatic dihydroperoxides which comprises oxidizing a hydrocarbon of the formula: ##STR1## with oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas, (2) extracting the resulting dihydroperoxide with an alkali metal hydroxide solution of a concentration of 1-12% thereby producing an aqueous extract and an organic raffinate, (3) neutralizing any alkali metal hydroxide remaining in the organic raffinate with carbon dioxide, thereby producing alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate in the raffinate, (4) washing the alkali metal carbonate or bicarbonate remaining in the raffinate with wash-water, (5) extracting from the wash-water used in step (4) any dissolved hydroperoxides remaining therein with a hydrocarbon solvent, and (6) optionally recycling the hydroperoxide-containing hydrocarbon solvent into the process. The resulting wash-water effluent is free of polluting and contaminating materials.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.