Phenol purification

Claim 1

THE METHOD FOR THE RECOVERY OF PHENOL FROM A CUMENE HYDROPEROXIDE CLEAVAGE MIXTURE BY FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION, SAID MIXTURE COMPRISING PHENOL AND ACETONE AS PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS, WHICH COMPRISSES SUBJECTING SAID MIXTURE TO FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION TO REMOVE ACETONE AND THEN CONTACTING IN THE LIQUID PHASE ANY SUBSTANTIALLY ACETONE-FREE, PREDOMINANTLY PHENOL-CONTAINING MATERIAL, WHICH MATERIAL CONTAINS GENETIC IMPURITIES COMPRISING MESITYL OXIDE, AN ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED BENZOFURAN, AND AT LEAST ONE PRECURSOR OF SAID ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED BENZOFURAN, UNDER ACIDIC CONDITIONS WITH AN ACIDIC CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BORON TRIFLUORIDE AND THE HALIDES, SULFATES AND NITRATES OF PLATINUM AND THOSE HEAVY METALS OF GROUPS II B, III A, A, IV, V A AND VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE HAVING AN ATOMIC NUMBER LESS THAN 52, AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 45*C, TO ABOUT 200*C, UNTIL THE PRECURSOR-TYPE GENETIC IMPURITY HAS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY REACTED WITH PHENOL AND BEEN CONVERTED TO ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED BENZOFURAN, FRACTIONALLY STEAM DISTILLING THE TREATED PHENOL-CONTAINING MATERIAL UNTIL MESITYL OXIDE AND ALKYL-SUBSSTITUTED BENZOFURAN HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVED FROM SAID MATERIAL AND SUBSEQUENTLY COLLECTING A PURIFIED PHENOL-CONTAINING MATERIAL.

Claim 2

THE METHOD FOR THE RECOVERY OF PHENOL FROM A CUMENE HYDROPEROXIDE CLEAVAGE MIXTURE BY FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION, SAID MIXTURE COMPRISING PHENOL AND ACETONE AS PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS, WHICH COMPRISSES SUBJECTING SAID MIXTURE TO FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION TO REMOVE ACETONE AND THEN CONTACTING IN THE LIQUID PHASE ANY SUBSTANTIALLY ACETONE-FREE, PREDOMINANTLY PHENOL-CONTAINING MATERIAL, WHICH MATERIAL CONTAINS GENETIC IMPURITIES COMPRISING MESITYL OXIDE, AN ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED BENZOFURAN, AND AT LEAST ONE PRECURSOR OF SAID ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED BENZOFURAN, UNDER ACIDIC CONDITIONS WITH AN ACIDIC CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BORON TRIFLUORIDE AND THE HALIDES, SULFATES AND NITRATES OF PLATINUM AND THOSE HEAVY METALS OF GROUPS II B, III A, A, IV, V A AND VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE HAVING AN ATOMIC NUMBER LESS THAN 52, AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 45*C, TO ABOUT 200*C, UNTIL THE PRECURSOR-TYPE GENETIC IMPURITY HAS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY REACTED WITH PHENOL AND BEEN CONVERTED TO ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED BENZOFURAN, FRACTIONALLY STEAM DISTILLING THE TREATED PHENOL-CONTAINING MATERIAL UNTIL MESITYL OXIDE AND ALKYL-SUBSSTITUTED BENZOFURAN HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVED FROM SAID MATERIAL AND SUBSEQUENTLY COLLECTING A PURIFIED PHENOL-CONTAINING MATERIAL.