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 COMPRISES SUBJECTING SAID MIXTURE TO FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION TO REMOVE ACETONE AND THEN CONTAINING IN THE LIQUID PHASE AN 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 THE HALIDES, SULFATES AND NITRATES OF COPPER, CHROMIUM AND MERCURY, 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 ALKY-SUBSTITUTED BENZOFURAN, FRACTIONALLT STEAM DISTILLING THE TREATED PHENOL-CONTAINING MATERIAL UNTIL MESITYL OXIDE AND ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED 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 COMPRISES SUBJECTING SAID MIXTURE TO FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION TO REMOVE ACETONE AND THEN CONTAINING IN THE LIQUID PHASE AN 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 THE HALIDES, SULFATES AND NITRATES OF COPPER, CHROMIUM AND MERCURY, 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 ALKY-SUBSTITUTED BENZOFURAN, FRACTIONALLT STEAM DISTILLING THE TREATED PHENOL-CONTAINING MATERIAL UNTIL MESITYL OXIDE AND ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED BENZOFURAN HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVED FROM SAID MATERIAL AND SUBSEQUENTLY COLLECTING A PURIFIED PHENOL-CONTAINING MATERIAL.