Abstract: An integrated process for producing cumene and purifying isopropanol is described, in which a crude isopropanol stream containing in excess of 0.1 wt % water is separated into a dry isopropanol fraction containing no more than 0.1 wt % water and a wet isopropanol fraction containing the remainder of the water in said crude isopropanol stream. The dry isopropanol fraction is recovered and the wet acetone isopropanol fraction is contacted with benzene in an alkylation zone under alkylation conditions such that at least part of the isopropanol reacts with the benzene to produce an effluent stream comprising cumene.

Abstract: In a process for alkylating an aromatic hydrocarbon feedstock with an olefin feedstock, at least one of the aromatic hydrocarbon and olefin feedstocks is passed through a pretreatment unit containing an adsorbent such that the adsorbent removes impurities contained by the feedstock. Passage of the at least one feedstock through the pretreatment unit is then terminated and a heated inert gas is passed through the pretreatment unit such that the inert gas desorbs impurities from the adsorbent to produce an inert gas effluent stream containing the desorbed impurities. A condensable fluid is added to at least part of the inert gas effluent stream such that at least a portion of the impurities contained therein condense with said fluid to leave a purified inert gas stream, which is recycled to the pretreatment unit.

Abstract: A process is described for producing cumene comprising contacting benzene and a C3 alkylating agent under alkylation conditions with an alkylation catalyst in an alkylation zone to produce an alkylation effluent comprising cumene and alkylaromatic compounds heavier than cumene. Cumene is recovered from the alkylation effluent to leave a byproduct stream containing the alkylaromatic compounds heavier than cumene, which is separated into a polyisopropylbenzene-containing stream, an aromatic overhead stream, and a bottoms product. At least part of the aromatic overhead stream is recycled to the alkylation zone to reduce raw material consumption and improve cumene yield.

Abstract: In a process for producing cumene, isopropanol containing nitrogenous impurities is reacted with benzene in an alkylation reactor to produce an effluent stream comprising cumene, unreacted benzene and water. Water is removed from the effluent stream and an aliquot of the resultant dried effluent stream is treated to remove nitrogenous impurities and produce a purified recycle stream. At least part of the purified recycle stream is then recycled to the alkylation reactor. In an alternative embodiment, the isopropanol is combined with fresh and/or recycled benzene and the combined stream is treated to remove nitrogenous impurities before being fed to the alkylation reactor.

Abstract: A process is described for alkylating benzene contained in a refinery gasoline stream, in which the refinery gasoline stream is contacted with an alkylating agent comprising one or more C2 to C5 olefins in an alkylation reaction zone under alkylation conditions to produce an alkylated effluent. The alkylation reaction zone comprises at least a first alkylation reaction stage and a second alkylation reaction stage and a portion of said alkylating agent is fed to each of said first and second alkylation reaction stages so that, although the molar ratio of alkylatable aromatic to alkylating agent in the total feed to the alkylation reaction zone is less than 1, the molar ratio of alkylatable aromatic to alkylating agent at the inlet of each of the first and second alkylation reaction stages is at least 1.0.

Abstract: A method for the evaporative production of phenol-BPA adduct crystals in a crystallizer is provided. First, a supersaturated BPA solution is introduced into a crystallizer that includes a cylindrical vessel and a concentrically-disposed draft tube that defines an annular space between the vessel and tube. Next, the BPA solution is circulated through the draft tube and annular space while a coolant is uniformly distributed in the circulating flow by radially injecting a volatile hydrocarbon compound at between about 30% and 60% of a radial extent of the annular space of to form a BPA mixture. Phenol-BPA adduct crystals are produced in the vessel by evaporating the volatile hydrocarbon compound out of the BPA mixture. The method provides a consistent and uniform concentration of coolant across the surface of the boiling zone that prevents or at least reduces unwanted crystal nucleation.

Abstract: In a process for alkylation of an alkylatable aromatic compound to produce a monoalkylated aromatic compound, a first feed stream comprising fresh alkylatable aromatic compound is passed to a first reaction zone which comprises a transalkylation catalyst and which also receives a second feed stream comprising polyalkylated aromatic compounds. The first and second feed streams are contacted with the transalkylation catalyst in the first reaction zone under conditions to transalkylate the polyalkylated aromatic compounds with the alkylatable aromatic compound to produce the desired monoalkylated aromatic compound. A first effluent stream comprising unreacted alkylatable aromatic compound and the monoalkylated aromatic compound is removed from the first reaction zone and passed to a fractionation system to separate the first effluent stream into a first light fraction comprising the unreacted alkylatable aromatic compound and a first heavy fraction comprising the monoalkylated aromatic compound.

Abstract: In a process for alkylating benzene contained in a benzene-containing refinery gasoline stream, the benzene-containing refinery gasoline stream is contacted with an alkylating agent selected from one or more C2 to C5 olefins in at least one alkylation reaction zone under alkylation conditions to produce an alkylated effluent which has reduced benzene content as compared with said refinery gasoline stream and is essentially free of said alkylating agent. An aliquot of the alkylated effluent is then recycled to the one at least one alkylation reaction zone such that the molar ratio of alkylatable aromatic compounds to said alkylating agent in the combined refinery gasoline and recycle streams introduced into the at least one alkylation reaction zone is at least 1.0:1.

Abstract: A process for reducing the benzene content of gasoline stream, such as a reformate or light naphtha, comprises alkylating the gasoline stream in a reaction zone with an olefin alkylating agent. A paraffinic stream comprising C5 to ClO paraffins is fed to the inlet of the alkylation reaction zone.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for alkylating benzene contained in a benzene-containing refinery gasoline stream also comprising at least 0.1 wt % of at least one C6 to C8 olefin. In the process, the refinery gasoline stream is contacted under alkylation conditions with an alkylating agent selected from one or more C2 to C5 olefins in at least a first alkylation reaction zone and a second alkylation reaction zone connected in series to produce an alkylated effluent, which has reduced benzene content as compared with said refinery gasoline stream. All of the refinery gasoline stream is introduced into the first alkylation reaction stage, whereas an aliquot of the alkylated effluent is recycled and introduced to the second, but not the first, alkylation reaction zone.

Abstract: A method for the evaporative production of phenol-BPA adduct crystals in a crystallizer is provided. First, a supersaturated BPA solution is introduced into a crystallizer that includes a cylindrical vessel and a concentrically-disposed draft tube that defines an annular space between the vessel and tube. Next, the BPA solution is circulated through the draft tube and annular space while a coolant is uniformly distributed in the circulating flow by radially injecting a volatile hydrocarbon compound at between about 30% and 60% of a radial extent of the annular space of to form a BPA mixture. Phenol-BPA adduct crystals are produced in the vessel by evaporating the volatile hydrocarbon compound out of the BPA mixture. The method provides a consistent and uniform concentration of coolant across the surface of the boiling zone that prevents or at least reduces unwanted crystal nucleation.

Abstract: A process is described for producing cumene comprising contacting a feed stream comprising benzene and a further feed stream comprising isopropanol or a mixture of isopropanol and propylene in the presence of an alkylation catalyst comprising at least a molecular sieve of the MCM-22, family in an alkylation zone under alkylation conditions of at least partial liquid phase and with a water concentration in the liquid phase of at least 50 ppm to react at least part of said isopropanol and benzene to produce an effluent stream containing cumene.

Abstract: In a method of recovering phenol and acetone from a feed stream containing bisphenol-A and isomers thereof, the feed stream is contacted with water and a source of hydroxyl ions under conditions effective to decompose at least part of said bisphenol-A and isomers thereof to phenol and acetone. The conditions include a temperature of about 150° C. to about 300° C., a pressure sufficient to keep the water substantially in the liquid phase at said temperature, and a molar ratio of hydroxyl ions to hydroxyphenyl groups in the residue stream from about 0.3:1 to about 0.9:1.

Abstract: A crystallizer for the evaporative production of phenol-BPA adduct crystals is provided that achieves more uniform crystal growth while suppressing undesired crystal nucleation. The crystallizer includes a cylindrical vessel; a draft tube concentrically disposed within the cylindrical vessel such that an annular space is defined between the vessel and tube; an impeller that circulates liquid in the vessel through the draft tube and the annular space, and a plurality of nozzles mounted around an inner wall of said cylindrical vessel that introduce an evaporative coolant into the vessel. Each of the nozzles includes a discharge end disposed between about 30% and 60% of a radial extent of the annular space, and is located below an upper end of the draft tube a distance of between about 50% to 150% of the diameter of the vessel. Such a nozzle arrangement provides a consistent and uniform concentration of coolant across the surface of the boiling zone that prevents or at least reduces unwanted crystal nucleation.

Abstract: In a method of treating a residue stream from the production of bisphenol-A, the residue stream is contacted with an aqueous solution of a base under conditions effective to hydrolyze at least part of said residue stream into acetone and phenol and produce an effluent stream. Acetone is recovered from the effluent stream to produce a phenol-containing mixed phase stream which is substantially free of acetone and which contains water and unhydrolyzed heavy organic compounds. The phenol-containing mixed phase stream is then treated with a water-immiscible organic solvent to extract phenol and unhydrolyzed heavy organic compounds into said solvent and produce an organic phase containing the solvent, phenol and unhydrolyzed heavy aromatic compounds and an aqueous phase with reduced concentrations of phenol and unhydrolyzed heavy organic compounds. At least part of the phenol and the organic solvent are subsequently recovered from the organic phase.

Abstract: In a method of recovering phenol and acetone from a feed stream containing bisphenol-A and isomers thereof, the feed stream is contacted with water and a source of hydroxyl ions under conditions effective to decompose at least part of said bisphenol-A and isomers thereof to phenol and acetone. The conditions include a temperature of about 150° C. to about 300° C., a pressure sufficient to keep the water substantially in the liquid phase at said temperature, and a molar ratio of hydroxyl ions to hydroxyphenyl groups in the residue stream from about 0.3:1 to about 0.9:1.

Abstract: Both a crystallizer and method for the evaporative production of phenol-BPA adduct crystals are provided that achieve more uniform crystal growth while suppressing undesired crystal nucleation. The crystallizer includes a cylindrical vessel; a draft tube concentrically disposed within the cylindrical vessel such that an annular space is defined between the vessel and tube; an impeller that circulates liquid in the vessel through the draft tube and the annular space, and a plurality of nozzles mounted around an inner wall of said cylindrical vessel that introduce an evaporative coolant into the vessel. Each of the nozzles includes a discharge end disposed between about 30% and 60% of a radial extent of the annular space, and is located below an upper end of the draft tube a distance of between about 50% to 150% of the diameter of the vessel.

Abstract: Both a crystallizer and method for the evaporative production of phenol-BPA adduct crystals are provided that achieve more uniform crystal growth while suppressing undesired crystal nucleation. The crystallizer includes a cylindrical vessel; a draft tube concentrically disposed within the cylindrical vessel such that an annular space is defined between the vessel and tube; an impeller that circulates liquid in the vessel through the draft tube and the annular space, and a plurality of nozzles mounted around an inner wall of said cylindrical vessel that introduce an evaporative coolant into the vessel. Each of the nozzles includes a discharge end disposed between about 30% and 60% of a radial extent of the annular space, and is located below an upper end of the draft tube a distance of between about 50% to 150% of the diameter of the vessel.

Abstract: In a method of reducing the viscosity of a residue stream from the production of bisphenol-A, the residue stream is combined with at least one of (a) a bottoms stream comprising polyalkylaromatic compounds and remaining after the fractionation of an effluent from an aromatics alkylation process to remove monoalkylaromatic compounds, (b) a stream containing at least 90 wt % phenol and (c) a mixture of phenol and said bottoms stream (a) to produce a combined stream.

Abstract: An improved process is provided for producing bisphenol-A (BPA) comprising steps of (1) contacting benzene and a C3 alkylating agent to produce an alkylation effluent comprising cumene; (2) oxidizing the cumene to produce the corresponding hydroperoxide; (3) cleaving the hydroperoxide to produce product comprising phenol and acetone; (4) reacting acetone with phenol to form a reaction product stream comprising crude bisphenol-A product; (5) distilling the reaction product stream, while sending downstream to a BPA-phenol adduct crystallization and purification step, the resulting concentrated BPA phenolic feed stream; (6) producing BPA-phenol adduct crystals by crystallization of the concentrated BPA phenolic feed stream; (7) separating the BPA-phenol adduct crystals by solid-liquid separationr; (8) cracking a stream comprising at least a portion of said final mother liquor to recover a product; and (9) recovering and feeding the phenol product of step (8) to step (4) and/or step (7).