Process for the synthesis of bisphenol

A commercial scale continuous process for the reaction of acetone with a phenol to form bisphenol A comprising reacting a feed comprising phenol and acetone at a phenol to acetone mole ratio of about 5 to about 40 by passing the feed at a weight hour space velocity of about 0.5 to about 3 through a modified ion exchange resin catalyst at an initial temperature of about 30 to about 80° C. to produce an effluent, wherein the acetone comprises less than 250 parts per million methanol and the modified ion exchange resin catalyst comprises a crosslinked gellular acid functionalized polystyrene resin having acid sites and a premodification acidic milliequivalent per gram catalyst value of greater than or equal to about 3.5 when dry and having a degree of crosslinking of about 1.5 to about 4%, the resin modified by neutralization of the acid sites with a mercapto promoter wherein the degree of neutralization is about 35 to about 45 mole % of the resin acid sites and the mercapto promoter is selected from the group consisting of promoter compounds I and II having the formula

• wherein R1 is an alkylene having 1 to about 10 carbons, R2 is a hydrogen, t-butyl or acyl and R3 is hydrogen, C1 to C5 carboxylate or a branched, unbranched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to about 10 carbons;
• derivatives thereof;
• and mixtures of the foregoing and further wherein the effluent has a temperature about 15 to about 25° C. greater than the initial temperature.

A process for the manufacture of polycarbonate comprising:

• synthesizing a bisphenol by reacting a feed comprising a phenol and a ketone at a phenol to ketone mole ratio of about 4 to about 65 by passing the feed at a weight hour space velocity of about 0.1 to about 10 through a modified ion exchange resin catalyst at an initial temperature of about 30 to about 100° C. to produce effluent, wherein the ketone comprises less than 250 parts per million methanol and the modified ion exchange resin catalyst comprises a crosslinked gellular acid functionalized polystyrene resin having acid sites and a premodification acidic milliequivalent per gram catalyst value of greater than or equal to about 3.5 when dry and having a degree of crosslinking of about 1.5 to about 8%, the resin modified by neutralization of the acid sites with a mercapto promoter wherein the degree of neutralization is about 35 to about 75 mole % of the resin acid sites and the mercapto promoter is selected from the group consisting of promoter compounds I and II having the formula
• wherein R1 is an alkylene having 1 to about 10 carbons, R2 is a hydrogen, t-butyl or acyl and R3 is hydrogen, C1 to C5 carboxylate or a branched, unbranched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to about 10 carbons;
• derivatives thereof;
• and mixtures of the foregoing;
• and further wherein the effluent has a temperature about 4 to about 40° C. greater than the initial temperature;
• and reacting said bisphenol with a carbonic acid derivative or a carbonate diester in the presence of a polymerization catalyst.

A process for the manufacture of polycarbonate comprising:

• synthesizing bisphenol A by reacting a feed comprising phenol and acetone at a phenol to acetone mole ratio of about 5 to about 40 by passing the feed at a weight hour space velocity of about 0.5 to about 3 through a modified ion exchange resin catalyst at an initial temperature of about 30 to about 80° C. to produce an effluent, wherein the acetone comprises less than 250 parts per million methanol and the modified ion exchange resin catalyst comprises a crosslinked gellular acid functionalized polystyrene resin having acid sites and a premodification acidic milliequivalent per gram catalyst value of greater than or equal to about 3.5 when dry and having a degree of crosslinking of about 1.5 to about 4%, the resin modified by neutralization of the acid sites with a mercapto promoter wherein the degree of neutralization is about 35 to about 45 mole % of the resin acid sites and the mercapto promoter is selected from the group consisting of promoter compounds I and II having the formula
• wherein R1 is an alkylene having 1 to about 10 carbons, R2 is a hydrogen, t-butyl or acyl and R3 is hydrogen, C1 to C5 carboxylate or a branched, unbranched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to about 10 carbons;
• derivatives thereof;
• and mixtures of the foregoing and further wherein the effluent has a temperature about 15 to about 25° C. greater than the initial temperature;
• and
• reacting said bisphenol A with a carbonic acid derivative or a carbonic diester in the presence of a polymerization catalyst.

A process for the manufacture of polycarbonate comprising:

• synthesizing a bisphenol by reacting a feed comprising a phenol and a ketone at a phenol to ketone mole ratio of about 4 to about 65 by passing the feed at a weight hour space velocity of about 0.1 to about 10 through at least 150 kilograms of a modified ion exchange resin catalyst at an initial temperature of about 30 to about 100° C., wherein the ketone comprises less than 250 parts per million methanol and the modified ion exchange resin catalyst comprises a crosslinked gellular acid functionalized polystyrene resin having acid sites and a premodification acidic milliequivalent per gram catalyst value of greater than or equal to about 3.5 when dry and having a degree of crosslinking of about 1.5 to about 8%, the resin modified by neutralization of the acid sites with a mercapto promoter wherein the degree of neutralization is about 35 to about 75 mole % of the resin acid sites and the mercapto promoter is selected from the group consisting of promoter compounds I and II having the formula
• wherein R1 is an alkylene having 1 to about 10 carbons, R2 is a hydrogen, t-butyl or acyl and R3 is hydrogen, C1 to C5 carboxylate or a branched, unbranched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to about 10 carbons;
• derivatives thereof;
• and mixtures of the foregoing;
• and reacting said bisphenol with a carbonic acid derivative or a carbonic diester in the presence of a polymerization catalyst.

A process for the manufacture of a polycarbonate comprising

• synthesizing bisphenol A by reacting a feed comprising phenol and acetone at a phenol to acetone mole ratio of about 5 to about 40 by passing the feed at a weight hour space velocity of about 0.5 to about 3 through at least 150 kilograms of a modified exchange resin catalyst at an initial temperature of about 30 to about 80° C., wherein the acetone comprises less than 250 parts per million methanol and the modified ion exchange resin catalyst comprises a crosslinked gellular acid functionalized polystyrene resin having acid sites and a premodification acidic milliequivalent per gram catalyst value of greater than or equal to about 3.5 when dry and having a degree of crosslinking of about 1.5 to about 4%, the resin modified by neutralization of the acid sites with a mercapto promoter wherein the degree of neutralization is about 35 to about 45 mole % of the resin acid sites and the mercapto promoter is selected from the group consisting of promoter compounds I and II having the formula
• wherein R1 is an alkylene having 1 to about 10 carbons, R2 is a hydrogen, t-butyl or acyl and R3 is hydrogen, C1 to C5 carboxylate or a branched, unbranched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to about 10 carbons;
• derivatives thereof;
• and mixtures of the foregoing;
• and
• reacting said bisphenol A with a carbonic acid derivative or a carbonic diester in the presence of a polymerization catalyst.