PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS

摘要

When preparing a phenolic compound by catalytically cleaving an aralkyl hydroperoxide with an acid, and extractively distilling the resulting crude phenolic compound in the presence of a polyalkylene glycol or ether thereof high-purity phenolic compounds are produced in high yields by… (a) carrying out the extractive distillation under such conditions that the phenolic compound comes out from the top of the extractive distillation column (12) in an overhead fraction in an amount of 0.3 to 30% by weight based on the total weight of the phenolic compound in the crude phenolic compound fed to the extractive distillation column (12), and… (b) subjecting the phenolic compound-containing overhead fraction from the extractive distillation column (12) to steam distillation and recycling the resulting bottom fraction containing the phenolic compound to any step after said catalytic acid cleavage and before said acid extractive distillation.