Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the preparation of aromatic hydroperoxides comprising contacting two liquid phases comprising an oily phase containing an aromatic compound having a secondary alkyl group and a basic aqueous phase under agitation with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a copper compound catalyst such as an inorganic salt or organic acid salt of copper, thereby to oxidize the aromatic compound to a corresponding aromatic hydroperoxide, wherein the liquid phase catalytic oxidation is carried out while maintaining the catalyst concentration in the liquid phases at 0.005 to 10 ppm as the copper atom and the pH value of the basic aqueous phase at 7.6 to 10. According to this process, by adoption of the above-mentioned specific catalyst concentration and pH value in combination, the rate of oxidation of the aromatic compound is increased and the selectivity to the hydroperoxide is improved.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the preparation of phenols which comprises the steps of (I) decomposing a hydroperoxide of an isopropyl aromatic compound with an acid catalyst, (II) separating the decomposition product obtained in step (I) into acetone, phenols, hydrocarbons and distillation residue by distillation of the decomposition product and (III) thermally decomposing the distillation residue and recycling the resulting crude phenol to step (II), wherein the crude phenol obtained in step (III) is contacted with a glycol to form a hydrocarbon layer and an extract layer comprising the glycol and phenol, and the phenol in said extract layer is recycled to step (II).According to this process, mingling of impurity components having a boiling point close to that of the desired phenol, which are contained in the thermal decomposition product of the distillation residue, into the product phenol can be effectively prevented, and the desired phenol can be obtained at a high purity and at a high recovery yield.

Abstract: A process for producing phenols which comprises oxidizing an aromatic hydrocarbon ring-substituted by an isopropyl group in one step in the liquid phase using molecular oxygen or a gas containing molecular oxygen in the presence or absence of a solvent, wherein the oxidation is carried out in the presence of an aromatic mercaptan having an acid dissociation constant (pKa) of less than 7.8.