Process for the generation of recycle solutions employed for the manufacture of hydrogen peroxide via intermediary alkylanthraquinones

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF REGENERATING THE INERT REGENERABLE MATERIALS TO TETRAHYDROANTHRAQUINONE IN A SOLUTION OF AN INTERMEDIATE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYLANTHRAQUINONES, ALKYLTETRAHYDROANTHRAQUINONES AND MIXTURES THEREOF IN A SOLVENT THEREFOR, WHICH SOLUTION HAS BECOME DEGRADED THROUGH USE IN CYCLIC REDUCTION AND OXIDATION OPERATIONS IN THE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE WHEREIN THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IS PRODUCED IN AN OXIDATION PHASE AND IS THEN EXTRACTED FROM THE SOLUTION, SAID DEGRADED SOLUTION CONTAINING DEGRADATION PRODUCTS WHICH ARE REGENERABLE TO ALKYLANTHRAQUINONES, AND DEGRADATION PRODUCTS WHICH ARE NOT REGENERATABLE TO ALKYLANTHRAQUINONES, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF TREATING SAID DEGRADED SOLUTION, AFTER THE OXIDATION PHASE AND AFTER THE EXTRACTION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, WITH AT LEAST 0.1% BY WEIGHT REFERRED TO THE WEIGHT OF SAID DEGRADED SOLUTION TO BE TREATED, OF AN ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM HDYROXIDE AND POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE TO THE BOILING POINT OF SAID DEGRADED SOLUTION, IN THE ABSENCE OF AN OXIDIZING AGENT, TO REGENERATE THE REGENERATABLE DEGRADATION PRODUCTS TO ALKYLTETRAHYDROANTHRAQUINONES, AND SEPARATING THE THUS-REGENERATED SOLUTION FROM SAID ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF REGENERATING THE INERT REGENERABLE MATERIALS TO TETRAHYDROANTHRAQUINONE IN A SOLUTION OF AN INTERMEDIATE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYLANTHRAQUINONES, ALKYLTETRAHYDROANTHRAQUINONES AND MIXTURES THEREOF IN A SOLVENT THEREFOR, WHICH SOLUTION HAS BECOME DEGRADED THROUGH USE IN CYCLIC REDUCTION AND OXIDATION OPERATIONS IN THE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE WHEREIN THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IS PRODUCED IN AN OXIDATION PHASE AND IS THEN EXTRACTED FROM THE SOLUTION, SAID DEGRADED SOLUTION CONTAINING DEGRADATION PRODUCTS WHICH ARE REGENERABLE TO ALKYLANTHRAQUINONES, AND DEGRADATION PRODUCTS WHICH ARE NOT REGENERATABLE TO ALKYLANTHRAQUINONES, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF TREATING SAID DEGRADED SOLUTION, AFTER THE OXIDATION PHASE AND AFTER THE EXTRACTION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, WITH AT LEAST 0.1% BY WEIGHT REFERRED TO THE WEIGHT OF SAID DEGRADED SOLUTION TO BE TREATED, OF AN ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM HDYROXIDE AND POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE TO THE BOILING POINT OF SAID DEGRADED SOLUTION, IN THE ABSENCE OF AN OXIDIZING AGENT, TO REGENERATE THE REGENERATABLE DEGRADATION PRODUCTS TO ALKYLTETRAHYDROANTHRAQUINONES, AND SEPARATING THE THUS-REGENERATED SOLUTION FROM SAID ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE.