Abstract: A process for preparing an organic hydroperoxide, which process comprises: (a) oxidizing an organic compound to obtain an organic reaction product containing organic hydroperoxide; (b) mixing at least part of the organic reaction product of step (a) with a basic aqueous solution to obtain a mixture of basic aqueous solution and the organic reaction product; (c) separating the mixture of step (b) to obtain a separated organic phase containing organic hydroperoxide, and a separated aqueous phase; (d) mixing at least part of the separated organic phase of step (c) with water to obtain a mixture of an aqueous phase and the organic phase; and (e) separating the mixture of step (d) to obtain a separated organic phase containing organic hydroperoxide, and a separated aqueous phase; in which process the separation to a separated organic phase and a separated aqueous phase in step (e) is carried out with the help of a coalescer containing glass fibers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing an arylalkyl compound, which comprises contacting a feed comprising a bis(arylalkyl)ether with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst at elevated temperature.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method of preparing styrene or substituted styrene involving (1) converting a mixture containing alkylbenzene hydroperoxide or substituted alkylbenzene hydroperoxide to a mixture containing phenyl alkanol or substituted phenyl alkanol and (2) dehydrating the phenyl alkanol or substituted phenyl alkanol, characterized by oxidizing an alkene to an alkylene oxide in step (1) in the presence of a heterogenous catalyst and dehydrating the phenyl alkanol or substituted phenyl alkanol in step (2) in the presence of a homogenous dehydration catalyst to obtain styrene or substituted styrene.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing organic hydroperoxides, which process involves (a) oxidizing an organic compound to obtain a reaction product containing organic hydroperoxide, (b) treating at least part of the organic hydroperoxide containing reaction product with a basic aqueous solution and separating hydrocarbonaceous phase containing organic hydroperoxide from basic aqueous phase, (c) washing with water at least part of the separated hydrocarbonaceous phase containing organic hydroperoxide and separating hydrocarbonaceous phase containing organic hydroperoxide from aqueous phase, and (d) optionally repeating step (c) one or more times, in which process solid particles are removed from the reaction product containing organic hydroperoxide and/or basic aqueous solution before use in step (b), preferably by filtering. The invention also relates to a process for preparing oxirane compounds in which such organic hydroperoxide is used.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method of preparing styrene or substituted styrene involving (1) converting a mixture containing alkylbenzene hydroperoxide or substituted alkylbenzene hydroperoxide to a mixture containing phenyl alkanol or substituted phenyl alkanol and (2) dehydrating the phenyl alkanol or substituted phenyl alkanol, characterized by oxidizing an alkene to an alkylene oxide in step (1) in the presence of a heterogenous catalyst and dehydrating the phenyl alkanol or substituted phenyl alkanol in step (2) in the presence of a homogenous dehydration catalyst to obtain styrene or substituted styrene.

Abstract: A process for treating waste water from an industrial process for producing propylene oxide, which process involves the steps of: (a) subjecting the waste water to a multi-effect evaporation treatment resulting in a vaporous top fraction and a liquid bottom fraction containing the non-volatile contaminants; and (b) condensing at least part of the vaporous top fraction into a liquid stream which is subject to a stripping treatment resulting in an overhead stream containing volatile waste organic material and purified water as the liquid bottom stream.

Abstract: A process for preparing organic hydroperoxides, which process comprises: (a) oxidation of an organic compound to obtain reaction product containing organic hydroperoxide, (b) contacting at least part of the organic hydroperoxide containing reaction product with a basic aqueous solution, (c) separating hydrocarbonaceous phase containing organic hydroperoxide from aqueous phase, (d) contacting at least part of the separated hydrocarbonaceous phase containing organic hydroperoxide with an aqueous solution comprising wastewater, and (e) separating the hydrocarbonaceous phase containing organic hydroperoxide from the aqueous phase. The invention further relates to a process for preparing an oxirane compounds with the help of this process, and a to a process for preparing an alkenyl aryl with the help of this process.

Abstract: A process for preparing organic hydroperoxides, which process comprises:

Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated process for producing 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylicacid comprising oxidizing a methylnaphthalene feedstock, hydrodebrominating the crude naphthoic acid product under conditions different from any work known in the art, forming a potassium salt of the acid; disproportionating the potassium salt to produce 2,6 potassium salts of NDA; selectively precipitating K2NDA; selectively precipitating the monopotassium salt of 2,6 NDA(KHNDA); disproportionating the KHNDA into 2,6 NDA and K2NDA; further reacting the 2,6 NDA in a pipe reactor; and drying the product 2,6 NDA by conventional means or directly slurrying directly into a PEN process. The process can tolerate impurities in the economical methylnaphthalene feed and the resulting 2,6 NDA is of high quality with <50 ppm potassium.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for reducing alkali metals in aromatic dicarboxylic acids produced by disproportionation or rearrangement of an alkali salt of a mono- or dicarboxylic acid to levels acceptable for polymerization which comprises: a) Washing the aromatic dicarboxylic acid with water in a ratio of about 5:1 water to acid at a temperature of about 70-200° C.; b) Introducing the washed aromatic dicarboxylic acid into a reactor characterized by minimal backmixing, such as a pipe reactor, and reacting the washed aromatic dicarboxylic acid in the pipe reactor at about 100-200° C.; c) Directing the aromatic dicarboxylic acid exiting the pipe reactor to a centrifuge to separate the solid aromatic dicarboxylic acid from water containing contaminants; d) Optionally, combining the solid aromatic dicarboxylic acid again with water in a ratio of about 5:1 at a temperature of about 100-200° C. to further reduce levels of alkali metals.

Abstract: In a process for producing aromatic dicarboxylic acids which incorporates the disproportionation of a salt of an aromatic mono- or dicarboxylic acid to produce the unreacted salt of an aromatic mono- or dicarboxylic acid and the salt of the desired aromatic dicarboxylic acid, a method is disclosed for separating the salt of the desired product from the unreacted salt which comprises passing both said unreacted salt and said salt of the desired product in an aqueous solution over an adsorbent comprising an activated carbon. The process is particularly suitable for separating potassium naphthoate from 2,6-K2NDA after potassium naphthoate is disproportionated to produce 2,6-K2NDA and 1- or 2-potassium naphthoate. The adsorbent can be regenerated by the use of a displacing agent and reused without off site regeneration.

Abstract: A process to produce terephthalic acid is provided, the process including the steps of: providing a feed stream comprising a dialkyl substituted aromatic and in an organic acid solvent: contacting the feed stream with an oxidant, the oxidant containing at least 50% by volume oxygen and at an oxygen partial pressure of at least 1 psia, at a temperature between about 80.degree. C. and about 130.degree. C.

Abstract: A reactor system for conducting chemical reactions is presented in which a reactor is operated in an upflow mode with a fixed bed catalyst and randomly distributed reactor packing therein. The reactor system and the process in which it is used exhibit plug flow behavior and are amenable to employing lightly crosslinked ion exchange resin catalysts.

Abstract: An improved process for the production of bisphenols is presented in which ketones and phenols are reacted in the presence of an acidic cationic exchange resin catalyst and a mercaptan cocatalyst. Prior to the reaction, alkyl alcohol is removed from the ketone stream. Cocatalyst is withdrawn from the reactor so that cocatalyst derivatives such as disulphide ions can be removed from the presence of the catalyst thereby reducing the possibility of catalyst poisoning.