Method for product isolation and catalyst recovery in aluminum chloride catalyzed isomerization of sym-octahydrophenanthrene to sym-octahydroanthracene

摘要

A method is disclosed for extracting sym-octahydroanthracene (s-OHA) from a product isomer mixture formed by the aluminum chloride catalyzed isomerization of sym-octahydrophenanthrene (s-OHP). Isolation of the s-OHA product isomer is accomplished by contacting the reaction product mixture with a specified liquid hydrocarbon solvent into which the s-OHA product isomer and unconverted s-OHP isomer dissolve and separate from a residue. The undissolved residue comprises a complex made up of aluminum chloride catalyst and small amounts of the s-OHA and s-OHP isomers. This catalyst complex may be recycled into a fresh starting mixture of s-OHP isomer for catalysis of a subsequent s-OHP isomerization reaction.