Fractionation of inorganic acid-free,cleavage reaction mixture

Abstract

Abstract DISCLOSED IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR FRACTIONATING IN A SINGLE, MULTIPLE PLATE DISTILLATION COLUMN AN INORGANIC ACIDMIXTURE RESULTING FROM THE CLEAVAGE REACTION OF HYDROPEROXIDE MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CUMENE HYDROPEROXIDE, CYMENE HYDROPEROXIDES, B-ISOPROPYLNAPHTHLAENE HYDROPEROXIDE, M- NA D P-DIISOPRPYLBENZENE MONO-AND DILHYDROPEROXIDES. THE COLUMN HAS A LOWER FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION ZONE AND AN UPPER FRACTIONAL CONDENSATION ZONE. IN THE PROCESS THE MIXTURE IS INTRODUCED INTO THE LOWER ZONE AND SEPARATED THEREIN BY FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION INTO A LIQUID PHENOLIC PRODUCT AND A VAPOROUS ACETALDEHYDE-ACETONE FRACTION. THE VAPOROUS FRACTION IS INTRODUCED INTO THE UPPER ZONE AND SEPARATED BY CONDENSATION INTO A LIQUID ACETONE FRACTION AND A VAPOROUS ACETALDEHYDE FRACTION. THE LIQUID ACETONE FRACTION IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE UPPER ZONE AS ACETONE PRODUCT, WHILE THE VAPOROUS ACETALDEHYDE FRACTION IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE TOP OF THE UPPER ZONE AND CONDENSED. A PORTION OF THE CONDENSED ACETALDEHYDE FRACTION IS RETURNED TO THE UPPER ZONE AS REFLUX. A PORTION OF THE LIQUID AT ANY STAGE OF THE UPPER ZONE IS WITHDRAWN AND RETURNED TO THE LOWER ZONE AS REFLUX. HOWEVER, IN A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PROCESS, AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE MATERIAL, AT A RATE SUFFICIENT TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN ALKALINE THE LIQUID CONTENTS OF THE FEED STAGE AND ANY LOWER STAGES OF THE UPPER ZONE, AS WELL AS THE ACETONE PRODUCT, IS INTRODUCED INTO THE UPPER ZONE AT THE FEED STAGE OR PREFERABLY AT A STAGE ABOVE THE FEED STAGE AT WHICH THE LIQUID WATER CONTENT IS HIGH ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN THE ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE MATERIAL IN SOLUTION. IN SUCH EMBODIMENT THE LOWER ZONE REFLUX LIQUID IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE UPPER ZONE AT A STAGE ABOVE THE STAGE AT WHICH THE AQUEOUS ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE SOLUTION IS INTRODUCED.

Inventors

• 👤 Joseph R Nixon Jr

Bibliographic Details