Process of preparing nu-acetyl-p-amino phenol

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF N-ACETYL-P-AMINOPHENOL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF ELECTROLYTICALLY REDUCING NITROBENZENE IN AQUEOUS SULFURIC ACID SOLUTION TO FORM P-AMINOPHENOL, NEUTRALIZING THE SULFURIC ACID IN THE REACTION MIXTURE AND ACETYLATING SAID P-AMINOPHENOL IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION TO FORM SAID N-ACETYL-P-AMINOPHENOL, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES TREATING THE REACTION MIXTURE AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE ELECTROLYTIC REDUCTION WITH AN ALKALINE COMPOUND OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BARIUM AND CALCIUM IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO RAISE THE PH OF THE MIXTURE TO BETWEEN 1.5 AND 4.9 TO FORM AN INSOLUBLE PRECIPITATE OF THE SULFATE OF SAID METAL, SEPARATING THE INSOLUBLE PRECIPITATE FROM THE MIXTURE, EXTRACTING THE AQUEOUS MOTHER LIQUOR WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY WATER-INSOLUBLE ORGANIC SOLVENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BENZENE, TOLUENE, LIGROIN, HEXANE AND ALIPHATIC ETHERS, AND SEPARATING THE ORGANIC SOLVENT PHASE AFTER THE EXTRACTION TO YIELD AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF P-AMINOPHENOL IN WHICH SAID P-AMINOPHENOL CAN BE ACETYLATED.