Process for recovering phenol from phenol-containing water

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE PHENOL FROM A DILUTE AQUEOUS SOLUTION THEREOF COMPRISING: CARRYING OUT A LIQUID-LIQUID COUNTER-CURRENT SOLVENT EXTRACTION ON SAID SOLUTION, USING AS EXTRACTION SOLBENT AN AMINE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (1) COCONUT OIL AMINES, DIOCYTLAMINE, N-BENZYLOCTYLAMINE, N-CYCLOHEXYLOCTAYLAMINE, DIMETHYLOCTYLAMINE AND TRI-N-OCTYLAMINEM AND (2) SAID AMINE DISSOLVED IN A SOLVENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OC CYCLOHEXANE, N-HEPTANE, N-HEXANE, BENZENE, TOLUENE, XYLENE, METHLYLISBUTYL KETONE ISOPROPYL ETHER, N-BUTYL ETHER, N-BUTYL ACETATE, CARBOXYLIC ACID ESTER, TRICHLORETHYLENE, KEROSINE, LIGHT OILS, DODECYLBENZENE, BUTYL CARBBITOL, N-HEXYL ETHER, TRIBUTYL PHOSPHATE AND TRICRESYLPHOSPHATE; TO RECOVER AN AQUEOUS PHASE AND A NONAQUEOUS EXTRACT PHASE CONTAINING A PHENOL-AMINE COMPOUND, HEATING SAID NON-AQUEOUS EXTRACT PHASE AT REDUCED PRESSURE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY DECOMPOSE SAID COMPOUND AND TO VAPORIZE THE PHENOL; AND RECOVERING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE PHENOL FROM THE VAPOR OF THE HEATING OPERATION.