A method of decomposing a phenol by-product produced in a phenol preparation process, in which acetophenone separated from a distillation column is mixed with tar separated and collected in a decomposition reactor, thereby significantly decreasing viscosity of tar. The decomposition method according to the present invention allows tar to have sufficient viscosity for flowability even at room temperature, whereby transfer and storage of tar may be more smoothly done without using any heating device for transfer of tar.

The present disclosure relates to a method for treating a catalyst that is useful for producing mono-alkylaromatic compounds, the method comprises the steps of (a) contacting the untreated catalyst with water to produce water-contacted catalyst, and (b) drying the water-contacted catalyst with a drying gas without steam being formed at a temperature of less than 300° C. to produce a treated catalyst. The treatment is effective to improve the activity and catalyst selectivity. A process for producing a mono-alkylaromatic compound comprising such a catalyst treatment is also disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to a method for treating a catalyst that is useful for producing mono-alkylaromatic compounds, the method comprises the steps of (a) contacting the untreated catalyst with water to produce water-contacted catalyst, and (b) drying the water-contacted catalyst with a drying gas without steam being formed at a temperature of less than 300° C. to produce a treated catalyst. The treatment is effective to improve the activity and catalyst selectivity. A process for producing a mono-alkylaromatic compound comprising such a catalyst treatment is also disclosed.

A method of producing phenol and acetone can comprise: alkylating benzene with a C.sub.2-6 alkyl source in the presence of a zeolite catalyst to produce a C.sub.8-12 alkylbenzene; oxidizing the C.sub.8-12 alkylbenzene in the presence of an oxygen containing gas to produce a C.sub.8-12 alkylbenzene hydroperoxide; cleaving decomposing the C.sub.8-12 alkylbenzene hydroperoxide in the presence of an acid catalyst to produce phenol, a C.sub.3-6 ketone, and undesirable side products such as, but not limited to acetaldehyde, DMBA, acetophenel one, AMS, AMS dimers, unidentified heavies, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; and monitoring a concentration of the C.sub.8-12 alkylbenzene hydroperoxide in a process stream of a reactor in real time at a temperature and a pressure of the process stream; and in real time, controlling a parameter of the reactor and/or the cleaving decomposing in response to the concentration of the C.sub.8-12 alkylbenzene hydroperoxide.

A method of producing phenol and acetone can comprise: alkylating benzene with a C.sub.2-6 alkyl source in the presence of a zeolite catalyst to produce a C.sub.8-12 alkylbenzene; oxidizing the C.sub.8-12 alkylbenzene in the presence of an oxygen containing gas to produce a C.sub.8-12 alkylbenzene hydroperoxide; cleaving decomposing the C.sub.8-12 alkylbenzene hydroperoxide in the presence of an acid catalyst to produce phenol, a C.sub.3-6 ketone, and undesirable side products such as, but not limited to acetaldehyde, DMBA, acetophenel one, AMS, AMS dimers, unidentified heavies, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; and monitoring a concentration of the C.sub.8-12 alkylbenzene hydroperoxide in a process stream of a reactor in real time at a temperature and a pressure of the process stream; and in real time, controlling a parameter of the reactor and/or the cleaving decomposing in response to the concentration of the C.sub.8-12 alkylbenzene hydroperoxide.

The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for decomposing a phenolic by-product generated in a bisphenol A preparation process, the method including: a step (S10) of feeding the phenolic by-product to a multistage reactive distillation column; a step (S20) of separating the phenolic by-product into an upper discharge stream containing an active component, a side discharge stream containing acetophenone, and a bottom discharge stream containing tar by the multistage reactive distillation column; and a step (S30) of mixing the side discharge stream discharged from the multistage reactive distillation column and the bottom discharge stream discharged from the multistage reactive distillation column to form a mixed discharge stream.

The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for decomposing a phenolic by-product generated in a bisphenol A preparation process, the method including: a step (S10) of feeding the phenolic by-product to a multistage reactive distillation column; a step (S20) of separating the phenolic by-product into an upper discharge stream containing an active component, a side discharge stream containing acetophenone, and a bottom discharge stream containing tar by the multistage reactive distillation column; and a step (S30) of mixing the side discharge stream discharged from the multistage reactive distillation column and the bottom discharge stream discharged from the multistage reactive distillation column to form a mixed discharge stream.

The invention relates to a process for producing alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons comprising the steps of: (a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon feedstream comprising benzene to a separation to provide a C6 cut comprising benzene, wherein the C6 cut comprises at least 60 wt-% of C6 hydrocarbons; (b) subjecting the C6 cut to catalytic cracking or thermal cracking to provide a cracking product stream comprising benzene and C2-C4 alkenes and (c) after step (b), without pre-separation of the cracking product stream, subjecting the cracking product stream to conditions suitable for alkylation to provide an alkylation product stream rich in alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons, wherein the process further comprises the steps of separating benzene and benzene coboilers from the alkylation product stream to obtain a stream of benzene and benzene coboilers and wherein the stream of benzene and benzene coboilers is separated into a benzene-rich stream comprising a higher proportion of benzene than the stream of benzene and benzene coboilers and a benzene-lean stream comprising a lower proportion of benzene than the stream of benzene and benzene coboilers and wherein the benzene-lean stream is recycled back to the catalytic cracking or thermal cracking in step (b).

The invention relates to a process for producing alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons comprising the steps of: (a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon feedstream comprising benzene to a separation to provide a C6 cut comprising benzene, wherein the C6 cut comprises at least 60 wt-% of C6 hydrocarbons; (b) subjecting the C6 cut to catalytic cracking or thermal cracking to provide a cracking product stream comprising benzene and C2-C4 alkenes and (c) after step (b), without pre-separation of the cracking product stream, subjecting the cracking product stream to conditions suitable for alkylation to provide an alkylation product stream rich in alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons, wherein the process further comprises the steps of separating benzene and benzene coboilers from the alkylation product stream to obtain a stream of benzene and benzene coboilers and wherein the stream of benzene and benzene coboilers is separated into a benzene-rich stream comprising a higher proportion of benzene than the stream of benzene and benzene coboilers and a benzene-lean stream comprising a lower proportion of benzene than the stream of benzene and benzene coboilers and wherein the benzene-lean stream is recycled back to the catalytic cracking or thermal cracking in step (b).

The present invention describes compositions comprising at least one compound chosen from hydroquinone and catechol, characterised in that it further comprises between 0.1 and 10,000 ppm of at least one compound chosen from 2-(alkoxy)phenol, 4-(alkoxy)phenol, 2-(alkyl)phenol, 4-(alkyl)phenol, (alkyl)catechol and (alkyl)hydroquinone. Another aspect of this invention concerns a method for preparing a composition comprising at least one compound chosen from hydroquinone and catechol according to the invention, characterised in that it comprises a step (a) of reacting the phenol with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a catalyst, in a solvent comprising an alcohol.