Purification of phenol with reduced energy consumption
Phenol (10) produced by the cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide is chemically treated with a base (12) such as a polyamine, is optionally then treated with an acid or acid anhydride (15) such as phthalic anhydride, is then steamed distilled (12) to remove a lites fraction as a water azeotrope (21) and the bottoms (34) of the steam distillation are vacuum distilled (35) to recover high purity phenol (36) as an overhead. The overheads (21) of the steam distillation are condensed (22) and may be phase separated (23) into an aqueous phase (25) and organic phase (24), with the aqueous phase (25) mixed (26) with an organic solvent (27) which preferentially dissolves benzofuran impurities. This mixture is phase separated into an organic solvent phase (30, 130) and a recycle aqueous phase (31). Alternatively, the entire condensed overheads (21) may be extracted (146-151 and 153) with organic solvent. In some forms, the organic solvent phase (130) is washed with aqueous base (142) to remove phenol and impurities and the organic solvent (127) is regenerated for again mixing with the aqueous phase. In other forms the organic solvent is a portion (152) of the high purity phenol product (36). This treatment and careful control of the chemical treatment to minimize formation of benzofuran impurities reduces the steam consumption of the steam distillation step, thereby producing high purity phenol with reduced energy consumption.
- Assignee:
- Allied Chemical Corp
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4298765
- Application Number:
- TRN: 82-008136
- OSTI ID:
- 5611387
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 26 Mar 1980; Other Information: PAT-APPL-134040
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
PHENOL
PRODUCTION
PURIFICATION
AMINES
ANHYDRIDES
AZEOTROPE
BASES
BENZOFURANS
CLEAVAGE
CUMENE
DISTILLATION
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
HYDROPEROXY RADICALS
IMPURITIES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHTHALIC ACID
REMOVAL
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
STEAM
TOLUENE
WATER
XYLENES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AROMATICS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS
EFFICIENCY
EXTRACTION
FURANS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MICROSTRUCTURE
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOLS
RADICALS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
400301* - Organic Chemistry- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties- (-1987)