Process for the production of phenols

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR RECOVERING PHENOL FROM THE REACTION MIXTURE OBTAINED BY THE CATALYTIC ACID CLEAVAGE OF ALKYLATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBON HYDROPEROXIDES AFTER SEPARTING THE ACID CATALYST AND ACETONE PRESENT, WHICH COMPRISES AZEOTROPICALLY DISTILLING OFF WITH WATER THE HYDROCARBON CONSTITUENTS OF SUCH REACTIN MIXTURE HAVING A BOILING TEMPERATURE BELOW THAT OF PHENOL IN A HYDROCARBON COLUMNS, RECOVERING THE REMAINING CONSTITUENTS FROM THE SUMP OF SAID COLUMN INCLUDING AN AQUEOUS PHASE AND AN ORGANIC PHASE, SEPARATING THE CONSTITUENTS IN THE RECOVERED ORGANIC PHASE AND IN A PORTION OF THE RECOVERED AQUEOUS PHASE FROM ATTENDANT WATER BY DISTILING OFF THE WATER THEREFROM, DISTILLING THE RESIDUE CONSTITUTENT REMAINING AFTER SAID DISTILLING OFF OF THE WATER FROM SAID ORGANIC PHASE AND FROM SAID PORTION OF THE RECOVERED AQUEOUS PHASE IN A PHENOL DISTILLATION COLUMN TO DISTILL OFF PEHNOL, RECOVERING PHENOL AS A DISTILLATE AND CRACKING THE RESIDUE FROM THE PHENOL COLUMN IN A CRACKING COLUMN HAVING A HEAD TEMPERATURE FROM AT LEAST ABOVE THE BOILING TEMPERATURE OF WATER UNDER THE REACTION CONDITIONS UP TO ABOUT 170*C. AND A SUMP TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 220350*C. WHILE PASSING ANOTHER PORTION OF THE RECOVERED AQUEOUS PHASE FROM THE HYDROCARBON COLUMN TO THE HEAD OF SAID CRACKING COLUMN AS REFLUX IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY DILUTE AND COOL THE VAPOROUS CONSTITUTENTS IN THE HEAD OF SAID CRACKING COLUMN, DISTILING THE CRACKED PRODUCTS AND RESIDE FORMED IN SAID CRACKING COLUMN IN A CRACKED PRODUCTS DISTILLATIN COLUMN HAVING A HEAD TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 90 AND 130 DEGREES C. AND A SUMP TEMPERTURE BETWEEN ABOUT 200 AND 215 DEGREES C. WHILE PASSING A FURTHER PORTION OF THE RECOVERED AQUEOUS PHASE FROM THE HYDROCARBON COLUMN TO THE HEAD OF SAID CRACKED PRODUCTS DISTILLATION COLUMN AS REFLUX IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY DILUTE AND COOL THE VAPOROUS CONSTITUENTS IN THE HEAD OF SAID CRACKED PRODUCTS DISTILLATION COLUMN, AND RECOVERING AND RECYCLING THE LOW BOILING CRACKED PRODUCTS FROM THE CRACKED PRODUCTS DISTILLATION COLUMN BACK TO THE HYDROCARBON COLUMN.