Alkylphenol or bisphenol prodn. - by reacting phenolic material with olefinic or carbonyl cpd. after activation by contact with cation exchanger

摘要

Prodn. of alkylphenols or bisphenols from a phenolic starting material derived from the processing coal-derived prods. or waste waters is effected by (a) activating the starting material by contact with a cation exchanger in acid form at 20-60 deg.C. for 10-90 min., (b) reacting the activated material with a reactant (I) selected from olefinic aliphatic cpds., ketones and aldehydes in the presence of a sulphonated cation exchanger in acid form at 50-130 deg.C., and (c) treating the prod. with a weakly or moderately basic anion exchanger in basic form. The process is operated continuously in a system of columns contg. fixed beds of the ion exchangers. (I) is used in substoichiometric amts. (I) is added as a soln. in an aromatic or alkylaromatic solvent. USE/ADVANTAGE - The process may be applied to phenols derived from coal tar or coal hydroliquefaction residues, or to phenols isolated from coke-oven or cracking-unit waste waters. Step (a) removes catalyst poisons, thereby extending the life of the cation exchanger catalyst in step (b) and increasing prod. yields above 80%.