PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PHENOL FROM CYCLOHEXYLBENZENE HYDROPEROXIDE

摘要

In a process for producing phenol, cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide is cleaved to produce a cleavage effluent stream comprising phenol and cyclohexanone and at least a portion of the cleavage effluent stream is fractionated to produce a first fraction richer in cyclohexanone than the cleavage effluent stream portion and a second fraction richer in phenol and depleted in cyclohexanone as compared with said cleavage effluent stream portion. At least a portion of the second fraction is then contacted with a dehydrogenation catalyst in a dehydrogenation reaction zone under dehydrogenation conditions effective to convert at least a portion of the cyclohexanone in said second fraction portion into phenol and cyclohexanol. In another embodiment, a composition of cyclohexanone (>99 wt%) and impurities of methylcy-clopentanone, cyclohexenol, cyclohexanedione or hydroxycyclohex-anone and cyclohexanol is claimed.