Process for isolating phenolic compounds from mixtures thereof

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR ISOLATING PHENOLS OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PHENOL, CRESOLS, XYLENOLS AND ETHYLPHENOLS FROM PHENOLIC COMPOUND-CONTAINING MIXTURES BY THE STEPS COMPRISING CONTACTING SAID MIXTURE WITH HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW 180* F., SEPARATING THE FORMED COMPLEX PHASE FROM SAID MIXTURE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ANIT-SOLVENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PARAFFINIC AND NAPHTHENIC HYDROCARBONS AND MIXTURES THEREOF, DECOMPOSING SAID COMPLEX INTO ITS COMPONENTS BY EXTRACTION WITH AN OXYGENATED HYDROCARBON HAVING A HIGH SOLVENT POWER FOR TAR ACIDS AND A LOW SOLVENT POWER FOR HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE AND WATER WHEREBY THERE IS FORMED AN EXTRACT PHASE CONTAINING SAID LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT PHENOLS AND AN AMOUNT OF HEXOMETHYLENE TETRAMINE DISSOLVED THEREIN, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES WATER WASHING SAID EXTRACT PHASE PRIOR TO RECOVERY OF PHENOLS TO FORM A WATER WASH CONTAINING A DILUTE CONCENTRATION OF HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE AND SUBJECTING SAID PHENOL-CONTAINING MIXTURE PRIOR TO ITS CONTACT WITH HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE TO PRETRETMENT WITH SAID WATER WASH AT A TEMPERATURE LESS THAN 180* F. WHEREBY THE HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE CONTENT OF SAID WATER WASH IS SUBSTANTIALLY DECREASED.