PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT TO PRODUCE PHENOL FROM BENZENE

摘要

Existing phenol production via the cumene or other processes, are complicate d, multiple staged and energy consuming, producing ketone by-products. The typical yield is about 5 % per pass by wt. A direct oxidation process that would eliminate the need for any reagents such as H2, gases, or Nitrous Oxide is most sought whereby; (see above formula) A recent development for a single stage process uses a Palladium membrane as a passive catalyst in a reactor chamber, reporting up 16% yield per pass. However, this process also generates hexane, cyclohexane and toluene as by-products in reactor temperatures in the order of 250.degree. C. This one step process requires O2, & H2 gases and is very temperature sensitive. The v olume of gases introduced into the reactor are also critical. In addition, the benzene must be delivered in it's gaseous state. The process demonstrates that the benzene ring is indeed reactive with an oxygen ion, but not with the O2 gas molecule. This apparatus was developed by The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Laboratory for Membrane Chemistry in Japan.