PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE PREPARATION OF PHENOLS

摘要

A process for the preparation of phenols comprises reacting in a reaction vessel (1) an alpha -hydroxyalkyl-substituted aromatic compound and/or an alpha , beta -unsaturated alkyl-substituted aromatic compound with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of an acid catalyst, in which hydrogen peroxide is diluted with a diluent, especially acetone, so that the volume is at least 10 times the original volume, and the diluted hydrogen peroxide is supplied in separate portions to at least two parts of a reaction vessel or is scattered into the reaction vessel (1) by sprinkling. According to a preferred embodiment, the diluted hydrogen peroxide is continuously supplied to the gas phase in the reaction vessel from a scattering device (12) which is similar to but separate from a scattering device (2) for supplying the starting aromatic compound, in particular a product formed by oxidizing an isopropyl aromatic compound with molecular oxygen. …According to this process, the efficiency of utilization of hydrogen peroxide is increased and a phenol of high quality can be obtained safely and in a high yield.