Method for recovering methanol solvent

An improvement in a process for preparing tetrabromobisphenol-A in an alcohol reaction medium, the improvement comprising

• (a) distilling alcohol from a liquid mixture having a pH in the range of from about 9.5 to about 14.0 initially containing alcohol, water, MBr.sub.n, and soluble salts of phenolic and brominated phenolic compounds, thereby forming distillation bottoms mixture containing MBr.sub.n, water, soluble salts of phenolic and brominated phenolic compounds, and a minor amount of alcohol, wherein M is an alkaline or alkaline earth metal ion and n is the valence of M;
• (b) adding an amount of acid to the distillation bottoms mixture of step (a) sufficient to precipitate the phenolic and brominated phenolic compounds;
• and
• (c) separating the precipitated phenolic and brominated phenolic compounds from the acidified distillation bottoms mixture of step (b).

A process for recovering methanol solvent and bromide values from the production of a tetrabromobisphenol-A predominant product made by brominating bisphenol-A in a methanol reaction medium, the process comprising:

• a) separating the tetrabromobisphenol-A predominant product from the reaction medium by precipitation with water and filtration thereby forming a liquid mixture wherein the liquid mixture comprises an organic phase containing methanol and phenolic and brominated phenolic compounds, and an aqueous phase containing HBr, and water;
• b) adjusting the HBr content of the liquid mixture to greater than 10 weight percent HBr so as to form an acidified liquid mixture containing HBr, water, methanol, and a precipitate containing phenolic and brominated phenolic compounds;
• c) distilling methanol from the acidified liquid mixture;
• and
• d) separating the precipitated phenolic and brominated phenolic compounds from the acidified liquid mixture of step (c).