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US 6,888,035 B2Granted
Hydrogenation of cleavage effluents in phenol production
AssigneeExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
InventorsKevin J. Fallon, Chung-Ming Chi, Henry Y. Hwang, Frank A. Demers
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Abstract
A method for producing phenol is disclosed which includes oxidizing cumene to form cumene hydroperoxide and acid cleavage to form cumene, phenol, acetone, and various byproducts, including alpha methylstyrene, followed by a subsequent hydrogenation of at least a part of the acetone and substantially all of the alpha methylstyrene.
Claims21
A method for producing phenol comprising the steps of:
- (a) oxidizing cumene to form cumene hydroperoxide;
- (b) reacting cumene hydroperoxide by acid cleavage to form an acid cleavage effluent stream which comprises cumene, phenol, acetone, and various byproducts including alpha methylstyrene;
- (c) separating a phenol product;
- and
- (d) hydrogenating the acid cleavage effluent stream immediately downstream from said reaction step (b) in a hydrogenation reaction carried out under hydrogenation conditions suitable for simultaneously hydrogenating at least a part of the acetone and at least a part of the alpha methylstyrene byproducts of said acid cleavage effluent stream
- wherein said hydrogenation step (d) is carried out in the presence of a suitable catalyst wherein said catalyst is selected from the group consisting of Cu/Cr2O3, Ni/Na, Cu/Mn, and Rainey nickel.
3 more elements
A method for producing phenol comprising the steps of:
- (a) oxidizing cumene to form cumene hydroperoxide;
- (b) reacting cumene hydroperoxide by acid cleavage to form an acid cleavage effluent stream which comprises cumene, phenol, acetone, and various byproducts including alpha methylstyrene;
- (c) separating a phenol product;
- and
- (d) hydrogenating the acid cleavage effluent stream immediately downstream from said reaction step (b) in a hydrogenation reaction carried out under hydrogenation conditions suitable for simultaneously hydrogenating at least a part of the acetone and at least a part of the alpha methylstyrene byproducts of said acid cleavage effluent stream
- wherein at least a portion of a liquid phase of said hydrogenation effluent stream is recycled back to said reaction step (b).
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.