Process for preparing resorcinol

A process for preparing resorcinol from m-diisopropyl benzene dihydroperoxide which comprises

• (1) pre-treating at least one by-product obtained from the oxidation of m-diisopropylbenzene to m-diisopropylbenzene dihydroperoxide, said by-product selected from the group consisting of m-substituted carbinol hydroperoxide and dicarbinol, with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of an acid catalyst selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, perchloric acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, chloroacetic acid and paratoluene sulfonic acid in a heterogeneous system of an aqueous aromatic hydrocarbon solvent at a temperature of about 30.degree. C. to 60.degree. C., for a reaction time of about 3 minutes to about 60 minutes, while removing by-product water as an azeotrope with the aromatic hydrocarbon in the treating system, while maintaining the concentrations of the hydrogen peroxide and acid catalyst in the aqueous solution of the heating system, at 1 to 15 moles/liter, and 0.5 to 5 moles/liter, respectively, separating the aromatic hydrocarbon solvent layer containing the pre-treated reaction product from the aqueous layer containing the hydrogen peroxide of the first step pre-treatment;
• and
• (2) a second step of acid-cleaving the pre-treated reaction product recovered in the aromatic hydrocarbon solvent layer, in the substantial absence of hydrogen peroxide, at a temperature of about 40.degree. C. to 100.degree. C., the second step being performed in the presence of acid-cleaving catalyst selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid and silica-alumina, the amount of sulfuric acid being 0.1 to 15% by weight, based on the the pre-treated reaction product and the amount of silica-alumina being 2 to 100% by weight, based on the pre-treated reaction product and recovering the resorcinol.