Method for purification of phenol.

摘要

The invention relates to a method for purification of phenol and specifically to a method for purification of phenol produced within the process of joint phenol and acetone production by cumene method. The aim of the invention is to develop a catalyst which has high activity for phenol purification from organic mico-impurities with regeneration of the catalyst and which has high mechanical strength and stability with long catalyst life. This result is obtained by phenol purification using a heterogeneous zeolite catalyst. The acidity of the catalyst measured by butane cracking (KA) is more than 10. Phenol derived from distillation of heavies and lights and still containing impurities i.e., hydroxyacetone, mesityl oxide, &-methylstyrene, 2-methylbenzofurane and other carbonyl compounds and not containing water (water content not more than 1 wt%, preferably less than 0.1 wt%) contacts the zeolite catalyst at a temperature between about 120 to 250 DEG C (preferably 180 to 200 DEG C) and space velocities 0.1-3.5 hr<-><1> (preferably 0.8-1.2 hr<-><1>). It has been discovered that said purification results in conversion of such impurities as mesityl oxide, hydroxyacetone, &-methylstyrene and other carbonyl compounds of not less than 90%.