Abstract: Impurities are removed from phenol by a process, comprising: first treating phenols containing impurities with at least one acid catalyst which converts the impurities into compounds which can be separated from phenol; separating the acid treated phenol from the compounds; and treating the distilled phenol a second time with at least one acid catalyst; thereby effectively removing the impurities from phenol.

Abstract: A mass stream comprising mesityl oxide may be reacted with water in an acidic medium, a basic medium, or in the presence of an acidic catalyst, to convert the mesityl oxide to acetone. This process may be used in conjunction with the Hock process for manufacturing phenol and acetone to decrease the amount of mesityl oxide by-product, and increase the yield of acetone. Thus, cumene is oxidized to form cumene hydroperoxide, which is then cleaved in the presence of an acidic catalyst to form a cleavage product phase comprising phenol, acetone, and mesityl oxide. The cleavage product phase may then be distilled to provide a mass stream comprising mesityl oxide. At least some of the mesityl oxide of the mass stream is then, according to the process of the present invention, reacted with water, in an acidic medium, a basic medium, or in the presence of an acidic catalyst, thereby producing acetone.

Abstract: Phenol and acetone are prepared by a process comprising homogeneously cleaving cumene hydroperoxide in the presence of acid catalyst in a cleavage apparatus comprising at least one reactor having plug flow characteristics thereby producing a cleavage product; recycling some of the cleavage product stream by combining the recycled cleavage product stream with the cumene hydroperoxide-containing feed stream fed to said cleavage apparatus under the condition that the mass flow ratio of the recycled partial cleavage product stream to the cumene hydroperoxide-containing feed stream sent to the cleavage reactor is less than 10.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of starting up a loop reactor system, which method includes heating a reaction mixture present in the loop reactor system with the heat of reaction of at least one exothermic reaction occurring in the loop reactor system. The method of the invention makes possible an inexpensive, reliable and simple start-up of loop reactor systems, since the heat liberated when carrying out an exothermic reaction is utilized for heating the reaction mixture present in the loop reactor. Use of the method of the invention makes it unnecessary to switch heat exchangers over from coolant to heat transfer media such as steam. Since the method of the invention is able to heat up the reaction mixture in the loop reactor system more rapidly than in conventional methods, the number and the amount of by-products formed by secondary reactions during the start-up phase is reduced.

Abstract: A process for reducing the loading of wastewaters produced in the preparation of hydroxyl and carbonyl compounds from hydroperoxides by the Hock process, which may be acidic, by treating the wastewaters with an oxygen-containing gas at a pressure greater than 25 bar absolute and at a temperature of 150-250° C. Surprisingly, improved degradation rates are achieved under these conditions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method for producing phenol and acetone by oxidizing cumene into technical cumol hydroperoxide (CHP) through catalytic cleavage of the CHP. According to the invention, the oxidation products are concentrated to up to a cumene content ranging from 21 to 30 wt % in the technical cumol hydroperoxide, said mixture being used for the catalytic cleavage.