Process for producing phenol
AssigneeExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
InventorsChristopher L. Becker, James R. Lattner, Keith H. Kuechler, Francisco M. Benitez, Charles Morris Smith
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Abstract
In a process for producing phenol, cyclohexylbenzene is oxidized to form a first reaction product comprising cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide and at least a portion of the cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide is then cleaved to form a second reaction product comprising phenol and cyclohexanone. At least one of the first and second reaction products comprises cyclohexenone, which is hydrogenated to produce further cyclohexanone.
Claims21
A process for producing phenol, the process comprising:
- (a) oxidizing cyclohexylbenzene to form a first reaction product comprising cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide;
- and
- (b) cleaving at least a portion of the cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide from (a) to form a second reaction product comprising phenol and cyclohexanone,
- wherein at least one of the first reaction product and the second reaction product comprises cyclohexenone and the process further comprises:
- (c) hydrogenating at least a portion of the cyclohexenone to cyclohexanone.
A process for producing phenol, the process comprising:
- (a) reacting benzene with hydrogen to form cyclohexylbenzene;
- (b) oxidizing at least a portion of the cyclohexylbenzene to form a first reaction product comprising cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide;
- and
- (c) cleaving at least a portion of the cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide from (a) to form a second reaction product comprising phenol and cyclohexanone,
- wherein at least one of the first and second reaction products comprises at least 0.05 wt % of cyclohexenone and the process further comprises:
- (d) hydrogenating at least a portion of the cyclohexenone to cyclohexanone, wherein at least 50 wt % of the cyclohexenone is hydrogenated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.