Manufacture of resorcinol

摘要

A process for the manufacture of resorcinol by the catalytic cleavage of a reaction mixture containing meta-diisopropyl benzene dihydroperoxide derived from the oxidation of meta-diisopropyl benzene, comprises heat-decomposing the material contained in the cleavage reaction product which is less volatile than resorcinol while passing steam through said material, simultaneously distilling off the additional quantities of resorcinol and meta-isopropenyl phenol so formed, separating any oil phase from the aqueous distillate and subjecting the latter to flash distillation to obtain an overhead fraction containing water and meta-isopropenyl phenol and a substantially anhydrous residue fraction containing resorcinol substantially free from metaisopropenyl phenol. The heat treatment may be carried out after removal or neutralisation of the catalyst employed in the cleavage reaction and after removal of acetone, unchanged hydrocarbons and free resorcinol or concurrently with the distillation of the cleavage reaction product without prior removal of any of the free resorcinol. Superheated steam is preferably employed in the process. The distillate from the thermal decomposition is preferably maintained at a pH of at least 4. The flash distillation conditions specified range from a pressure of about 50 mm. at a wall temperature of about 170 DEG C. up to atmospheric pressure at a wall temperature of about 210 DEG C. An example is furnished in which resorcinol is recovered from the crude aqueous solution obtained by the acid catalysed cleavage of meta-diisopropylbenzene dihydroperoxide. Specification 857,113 also is referred to.