Azeotropic removal of hydrocarbon contaminants from phenol

Claim 1

A METHOD WHICH COMPRISES CONTINOUSLY INTRODUCING INTO A DISTILLATION ZONE AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT THEREOF A FEED-MIXTURE, THE PREDOMINANT COMPONENTS OF WHICH ARE PHENOL AND ACETONE AND WHICH CONTAINS LESS THAN ABOUT 0.5% BUT MORE THAN ABOUT 0.05% BY WEIGHT OF ALKYL AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS BOILING IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 170* TO ABOUT 210* C., SAID MIXTURE HAVING BEEN PRODUCED BY OXIDIZING CUMENE TO FORM CUMENE HYDROPEROXIDE, CONCENTRATING SAID HYDROPEROXIDE AND DECOMPOSING IT IN THE PRESENCE F AN ACID CATALYST; INTRODUCING A QUANTITY OF WATER EQUAL TO FROM ABOUT 90% TO ABOUT 150% BY WEIGHT OF THE PHENOL IN SAID MIXTURE AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT BETWEEN THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF THE FEED-MIXTURE AND THE BOTTOM OF SAID ZONE; WITH DRAWING VAPORS CONTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID ALKYL AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ACETONE AND WATER IN SAID FEED-MIXING AND CONTAINING NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 3% BY WEIGHT OF PHENOL, BASED UPON THE PHENOL CONTENT OF SAID FEED-MIXTURE; AND WITHDRAWING SUBSTANTIALLY WATER-FREE PHENOL CNTAINING LESS THAN ABOUT 0.05% BY WEIGHT OF HYDROCARBONS BOILING IN THE RANGE OF ABUT 170* C. TO ABOUT 210* C., FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID DISTILLATION ZONE.

Claim 2

A METHOD WHICH COMPRISES CONTINOUSLY INTRODUCING INTO A DISTILLATION ZONE AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT THEREOF A FEED-MIXTURE, THE PREDOMINANT COMPONENTS OF WHICH ARE PHENOL AND ACETONE AND WHICH CONTAINS LESS THAN ABOUT 0.5% BUT MORE THAN ABOUT 0.05% BY WEIGHT OF ALKYL AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS BOILING IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 170* TO ABOUT 210* C., SAID MIXTURE HAVING BEEN PRODUCED BY OXIDIZING CUMENE TO FORM CUMENE HYDROPEROXIDE, CONCENTRATING SAID HYDROPEROXIDE AND DECOMPOSING IT IN THE PRESENCE F AN ACID CATALYST; INTRODUCING A QUANTITY OF WATER EQUAL TO FROM ABOUT 90% TO ABOUT 150% BY WEIGHT OF THE PHENOL IN SAID MIXTURE AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT BETWEEN THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF THE FEED-MIXTURE AND THE BOTTOM OF SAID ZONE; WITH DRAWING VAPORS CONTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID ALKYL AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ACETONE AND WATER IN SAID FEED-MIXING AND CONTAINING NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 3% BY WEIGHT OF PHENOL, BASED UPON THE PHENOL CONTENT OF SAID FEED-MIXTURE; AND WITHDRAWING SUBSTANTIALLY WATER-FREE PHENOL CNTAINING LESS THAN ABOUT 0.05% BY WEIGHT OF HYDROCARBONS BOILING IN THE RANGE OF ABUT 170* C. TO ABOUT 210* C., FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID DISTILLATION ZONE.