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.

Process for isolating pure cyclohexyl (meth)acrylate from a mixture comprising cyclohexyl (meth)acrylate, cyclohexanol and entrainer, by feeding or introducing the mixture is fed as side feed stream into a rectification column having a bottom vaporizer, separation-active internals and a stripping section and an enrichment section, where the column has from 4 to 50 theoretical plates, the side feed stream is introduced in the region commencing at least one theoretical plate above the bottommost theoretical plate and ending at least one theoretical plate below the uppermost theoretical plate, the pressure at the top of the column is in the range from 10 mbar to 5 bar and the reflux ratio is from 1:0.2 to 1:10, and the bottom output is fed to a further distillation unit in which the cyclohexyl (meth)acrylate is separated off at the top or at a side offtake.

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.