A NOVEL PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH PURITY AND ULTRAPURE BISPHENOL-A

摘要

A process for the production of high purity and ultrapure bisphenol-A is pro vided in which 4-12 mol phenol is reacted with 1 mol acetone in a multistage suspended bed reactor column (41) comprising a plura lity of perforated trays (42) and downcomers (43) both h aving screens (44 and 45) provided thereon and catalytic resin particles (46) plac ed on the screens (44 and 45) in association with the tr ays (42). In operation, all of phenol is charged to the uppermost tray and all the requir ed acetone is introduced to the column (41) through seve ral inlets (52) along the wall of the column (41). An inert gas rising through the tray s (42) and the catalytic particles (46) thereon stirs th e reaction liquid and particles (46) therein to form a suspension and strips water gene rated during the reaction of phenol and acetone. Subseq uently, the reaction mixture in the column is cooled to form adduct crystals of bisp henol-A with phenol and mother liquor, the adduct crysta ls are separated from the mother liquor, and phenol is removed from the adduct crys tals. As a result of the stripping of water from the rea ction mixture, high quality bisphenol-A can be obtained without the inclusion of c oncentration step before crystallization.