Process for producing phenol and methyl ethyl ketone

Abstract

A process for producing phenol and methyl ethyl ketone comprises contacting benzene with a C4 alkylating agent under aklylation conditions with catalyst comprising zeolite beta or a molecular sieve having an X-ray diffraction pattern including d-spacing maxima at 12.4+-0.25, 6.9+-0.15, 3.57+-0.07 and 3.42+-0.07 Angstrom to produce an alkylation effluent comprising sec-butylbenzene. The sec-butylbenzene is then oxidized to produce a hydroperoxide and the hydroperoxide is decomposed to produce phenol and methyl ethyl ketone.

Description

field of invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for the co-production of phenol and methyl ethyl ketone. Background of the invention

[0002] Phenol and methyl ethyl ketone are important products in the chemical industry. For example, phenol is used in the production of phenolic resins, bisphenol A, ε-caprolactam, adipic acid, alkylphenols, and plasticizers, while methyl ethyl ketone is used as a lacquer, solvent, and in the dewaxing of lubricating oils.

[0003] The most common route for the production of methyl ethyl ketone is through the dehydrogenation of sec-butanol (SBA), which is produced by the acid-catalyzed hydration of butenes. Industrial scale production of SBA from butenes together with sulfuric acid has been achieved for many years by gas / liquid extraction. Improvements to this hydration process include process configurations utilizing a tertiary combination of plug flow, bubble column, and CSTR (stirred tank reactor) reaction zones to ach...

Images