Hydroxyacetone Removal from Phenol via Aqueous Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current phenol production processes face challenges in efficiently separating and reducing hydroxyacetone impurities from phenol streams, leading to high energy costs and waste water treatment expenses due to the difficulty in separating hydroxyacetone from phenol by simple distillation and the need to treat large volumes of cleavage products with oxidizing agents.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the acid catalyzed cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide, followed by distillation to separate a phenol-containing fraction and an aqueous fraction rich in hydroxyacetone, which is then treated with an oxidizing agent in the presence of a base to create a basic medium reduced in hydroxyacetone, allowing for recycling and minimizing waste water streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If simple distillation is used to separate hydroxyacetone from phenol, then the process is simple and low cost, but hydroxyacetone cannot be effectively removed from phenol
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts hydroxyacetone from the phenol stream by introducing an aqueous phase that selectively extracts hydroxyacetone into the aqueous layer during neutralization and phase separation, enabling effective removal of the impurity while maintaining process simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pH parameter by adding base during neutralization, which alters the distribution of hydroxyacetone between phases and enables its selective extraction into the aqueous phase, thereby improving separation efficiency without complex equipment
2Manufacturing precision
If large volume flows of cleavage product are treated with oxidizing agents to remove hydroxyacetone, then hydroxyacetone removal is effective, but enormous efforts are required to operate the process safely and high costs are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the bulk of hydroxyacetone through aqueous extraction before oxidizing agent treatment, reducing the volume and concentration of hydroxyacetone that requires expensive and hazardous oxidizing agent treatment, thereby improving operational safety and reducing costs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary extraction of hydroxyacetone using aqueous phase during neutralization before the final purification steps, reducing the burden on subsequent treatment processes and enabling safer, more economical operation
3Manufacturing precision
If aqueous phase is discarded after distillation to remove hydroxyacetone, then hydroxyacetone separation is achieved, but waste water treatment costs increase and resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers and recycles the aqueous phase containing extracted hydroxyacetone back to the neutralization step, eliminating waste water treatment costs and resource waste while maintaining effective hydroxyacetone separation through continuous circulation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback loop where the aqueous phase is continuously recycled from the separation step back to the neutralization step, creating a closed system that eliminates waste discharge and maintains consistent hydroxyacetone removal efficiency
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively reduces hydroxyacetone content in the phenol stream by over 90% with low investment and variable costs, avoiding the need for large-scale oxidizing agent treatment and waste water disposal, while maintaining phenol quality and avoiding unwanted side reactions.
Implementation Method 1
treating said aqueous fraction with an oxidizing agent in presence of a base to obtain a basic aqueous medium reduced in hydroxyacetone
Implementation Method 2
separating said neutralized cleavage product by at least one distillation step into at least a phenol containing fraction and an aqueous fraction comprising hydroxyacetone
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention relates to method for producing phenol comprising: a) oxidizing cumene to form an oxidation product containing cumene hydroperoxide; b) cleaving said oxidation product using an acidic catalyst to form a cleavage product containing phenol, acetone and impurities; c) neutralizing and washing said cleavage product with a basic aqueous medium to obtain a neutralized cleavage product; d) separating said neutralized cleavage product by at least one distillation step into at least a phenol containing fraction and an aqueous fraction comprising hydroxyacetone; e) treating said aqueous fraction with an oxidizing agent in presence of a base to obtain a basic aqueous medium reduced in hydroxyacetone; f) recycling at least a portion of said basic aqueous medium to the neutralizing and washing step c); and g) recovering phenol from said phenol containing fraction obtained in step d).