A fluid catalytic cracking process for p-cresol dimer to produce valuable phenolic monomers, i.e., 2-methyl phenol, 4-methyl phenol, 2,3-xylenol, and phenol, uses an equilibrium catalyst (E-cat) generated in the petroleum fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit. The p-cresol dimer can be processed under relatively mild conditions, while maximizing desired and minimizing undesired products. The process may include charging an equilibrium fluid catalytic cracking catalyst; heating to a predetermined cracking temperature and pressure; (c) charging a p-cresol dimer feed; (d) contacting the p-cresol dimer with the equilibrium fluid catalytic cracking catalyst; (e) condensing resulting phenolic monomer vapors to obtain phenolic monomer liquid and fluidization gas; (f) separating the phenolic monomer liquid from the fluidization gas; (g) collecting the separated phenolic monomer liquid; (h) separating the collected phenolic monomer liquid individual phenolic monomers; and (i) recycling any unconverted p-cresol dimer into the fluidized bed reactor.

A fluid catalytic cracking process for p-cresol dimer to produce valuable phenolic monomers, i.e., 2-methyl phenol, 4-methyl phenol, 2,3-xylenol, and phenol, uses an equilibrium catalyst (E-cat) generated in the petroleum fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit. The p-cresol dimer can be processed under relatively mild conditions, while maximizing desired and minimizing undesired products. The process may include charging an equilibrium fluid catalytic cracking catalyst; heating to a predetermined cracking temperature and pressure; (c) charging a p-cresol dimer feed; (d) contacting the p-cresol dimer with the equilibrium fluid catalytic cracking catalyst; (e) condensing resulting phenolic monomer vapors to obtain phenolic monomer liquid and fluidization gas; (f) separating the phenolic monomer liquid from the fluidization gas; (g) collecting the separated phenolic monomer liquid; (h) separating the collected phenolic monomer liquid individual phenolic monomers; and (i) recycling any unconverted p-cresol dimer into the fluidized bed reactor.

A fluid catalytic cracking process for p-cresol dimer to produce valuable phenolic monomers, i.e., 2-methyl phenol, 4-methyl phenol, 2,3-xylenol, and phenol, uses an equilibrium catalyst (E-cat) generated in the petroleum fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit. The p-cresol dimer can be processed under relatively mild conditions, while maximizing desired and minimizing undesired products. The process may include charging an equilibrium fluid catalytic cracking catalyst; heating to a predetermined cracking temperature and pressure; (c) charging a p-cresol dimer feed; (d) contacting the p-cresol dimer with the equilibrium fluid catalytic cracking catalyst; (e) condensing resulting phenolic monomer vapors to obtain phenolic monomer liquid and fluidization gas; (f) separating the phenolic monomer liquid from the fluidization gas; (g) collecting the separated phenolic monomer liquid; (h) separating the collected phenolic monomer liquid individual phenolic monomers; and (i) recycling any unconverted p-cresol dimer into the fluidized bed reactor.

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.

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.

A process for recovery of materials from a mother liquor residue comprising cracking a mother liquor residue with an aromatic sulfonic acid catalyst to form a cracked product mixture and separating phenol from the cracked product mixture wherein the mother liquor residue results from distillation of a mother liquor resulting from bisphenol A synthesis and isolation.

A process for recovery of materials from a mother liquor residue comprising cracking a mother liquor residue with an aromatic sulfonic acid catalyst to form a cracked product mixture and separating phenol from the cracked product mixture wherein the mother liquor residue results from distillation of a mother liquor resulting from bisphenol A synthesis and isolation.

A process for recovery of materials from a mother liquor residue comprising cracking a mother liquor residue with an aromatic sulfonic acid catalyst to form a cracked product mixture and separating phenol from the cracked product mixture wherein the mother liquor residue results from distillation of a mother liquor resulting from bisphenol A synthesis and isolation.

This specification discloses an operational continuous process to convert lignin as found in ligno-cellulosic biomass before or after converting at least some of the carbohydrates. The continuous process has been demonstrated to create a slurry comprised of lignin, raise the slurry comprised of lignin to ultra-high pressure, deoxygenate the lignin in a lignin conversion reactor over a catalyst which is not a fixed bed without producing char. The conversion products of the carbohydrates or lignin can be further processed into polyester intermediates for use in polyester preforms and bottles.

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.