High selective method of phenol and acetone production

A system for cleaving technical CHP to form phenol, acetone and .alpha.-methylstyrene comprising:

• a supply line for supplying a feed stream containing CHP;
• a first stage into which said feed stream is introduced, said first stage comprising a series of mixing reactors wherein the CHP is cleaved to produce a product stream;
• a second supply line for supplying a first additional acetone stream to said first stage;
• a recycle system whereby at least a portion of the product stream is split off from the remainder of said product stream;
• a mixing tank for receiving the remainder of said product stream with means for optionally introducing other materials into said tank;
• at least one heat exchanger for increasing the temperature of the remaining product stream by about 50-55.degree. C.;
• a multi-stage plug flow reactor into which the heated product stream is introduced and wherein DCP is cleaved;
• a third supply line for supplying a second additional acetone stream to said second stage, wherein said first and second additional acetone streams differ in quantity of delivered acetone;
• and
• a temperature measuring and control system adapted to control the temperature increase in each stage of said multi-step reactor.

A two stage process for cleaving technical CHP containing DMBA to phenol, acetone and .alpha.-methylstyrene comprising:

• introducing technical grade CHP into a first stage, said first stage comprising at least a first, second and third reactor, said least first, second and third reactor being in series;
• introducing a first acetone stream into said first stage;
• cleaving CHP in said reactors tinder substantially isothermal conditions wherein the first reactor operates at a temperature of 47-50.degree. C. and provides a CHP conversion of 43-50%, the second reactor operates at a temperature of 48-50.degree. C. and provides a CHP conversion of 67-73%, and the third reactor operates at a temperature of 48-50.degree. C. and provides a CHP conversion of 78-82% and producing a first product stream at a first temperature, said product stream containing DCP;
• introducing the first product stream into a second stage, said second stage comprising a reactor wherein DCP is decomposed to a mixture containing phenol, acetone and .alpha.-methylstyrene under non-isothermal conditions;
• and
• introducing a second acetone stream into said second stage.