Process for the purification of bisphenolic compounds

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THR PURIFICATION OF A CRUDE BISPHENOLIC COMPOUND OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BIS(HYDROXYARYL) ALKANES, CYCLOALKANES, ETHERS, SULFIDES, SULFOXIDES, AND SULFONES, WHICH COMPRISES (A) DISSOLVING THE SAID CRUDE BISPHENOLIC COMPOUND IN HOT WATER AT A TEMPERATURE NOT IN EXCESS OF ITS BOILING POINT COINTAINING AN AMOUNT OF A WATER-SOLUBLE ALKALINE SUBSTANCE OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI-METAL AND ALKALINE-EARTH-METAL HYDROXIDES, AND ALKALI-METAL CARBONATES AND BICARBONATES THAT IS MUCH LESS THAN THAT REQUIRED STOICHIOMETRICALLY TO CONVERT THE BISPHENOL TO ITS CORRESPONDING SALT YET IS SUFFICIENT BUT NOT SUBSTANTIALLY IN EXCESS OF THAT REQUIRED TO DISSOLVE COMPLETELY THE BISPHENOLIC COMPOUND CONTAINED IN THE CRUDE PRODUCT TO FORM A CLEAR AQUEOUS ALKALINE SOLUTION AT A TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIAMATELY 100*C., (B) ALLOWING TTHE HOT AQUEOUS SOLUTION TO COOL, AND (C) SUBSEQUENTLY RECOVERING FROM THE COOLED SOLUTION THE CRYSTALLINE PURIFIED BISPHENOLIC COMPOUND THUS PRECIPITATED THEREIN.