Abstract: A process of separating a purified propylene oxide from a crude epoxidation product produced, preferably, in an epoxidation reaction of propylene with hydrogen peroxide. The process involves removing bulk water, bulk methanol, and unreacted propylene from the crude epoxidation product and thereafter subjecting the resulting propylene oxide product to extractive distillation with water as an extraction solvent. Under distillation conditions, including a bottoms temperature of greater than about 55° C. and less than about 75° C., an overhead or side-cut distillate stream containing a purified propylene oxide is obtained with low yield loss of propylene oxide to propylene glycols and other glycol heavies. The purified propylene oxide can be further purified in a finishing distillation to obtain propylene oxide meeting commercial grade purity requirements.

Abstract: A process of separating a purified propylene oxide from a crude epoxidation product produced, preferably, in an epoxidation reaction of propylene with hydrogen peroxide. The process involves removing bulk water, bulk methanol, and unreacted propylene from the crude epoxidation product and thereafter subjecting the resulting propylene oxide product to extractive distillation with water as an extraction solvent. Under distillation conditions, including a bottoms temperature of greater than about 55° C. and less than about 75° C., an overhead or side-cut distillate stream containing a purified propylene oxide is obtained with low yield loss of propylene oxide to propylene glycols and other glycol heavies. The purified propylene oxide can be further purified in a finishing distillation to obtain propylene oxide meeting commercial grade purity requirements.

Abstract: Phenol dissolved in an aqueous sulphatic stream discharged from a reactor in which cumene hydroperoxide is oxidized to phenol and acetone is recovered by extracting phenol present in said aqueous sulphatic stream containing phenol, Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and organic impurities, in a multi-step extractor with an organic solvent, thereby forming an extracted product organic phase and a refined aqueous product phase, the ratio of the extracted product phase to the refined product phase ranging from 0.1 to 1 v/v at a temperature ranging from 20.degree.-70.degree. C., and obtaining phenol by distillation or re-extraction of the recovered extracted product organic phase.