Disclosed herein is a process for producing phenol. The process includes oxidizing at least a portion of a feed comprising cyclohexylbenzene to produce an oxidation composition comprising cyclohexyl-1-phenyl-1-hydroperoxide. The oxidation composition may then be cleaved in the presence of an acid catalyst to produce a cleavage reaction mixture comprising the acid catalyst, phenol and cyclohexanone. At least a portion of the cleavage reaction mixture may be neutralized with a basic material to form a treated cleavage reaction mixture. In various embodiments, the treated cleavage reaction mixture contains no greater than 50 wppm of the acid catalyst or no greater than 50 wppm of the basic material.

Methods and systems for preparing acetone from cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) are disclosed. The disclosed methods involve cleaving CHP to form a cleavage product stream. In some embodiments, the cleavage product stream is separated into an overhead stream and a bottoms stream. The bottoms stream is neutralized, washed and then treated in a crude acetone column to provide a crude acetone stream. The overhead stream of the cleavage product is flashed forward in the process, bypassing the neutralization, washing, and crude acetone column and is then combined with the crude acetone stream. The combined acetone streams are provided to an acetone product column. According to some embodiments, the acetone product column comprises a side draw for obtaining a recycle acetone stream, which is recycled to the cleavage reactor(s). The recycle acetone side draw may be located lower on the acetone product column than the point from which product acetone is obtained. The disclosed methods increase the efficiency of the process.

Methods and systems for preparing acetone from cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) are disclosed. The disclosed methods involve cleaving CHP to form a cleavage product stream. In some embodiments, the cleavage product stream is separated into an overhead stream and a bottoms stream. The bottoms stream is neutralized, washed and then treated in a crude acetone column to provide a crude acetone stream. The overhead stream of the cleavage product is flashed forward in the process, bypassing the neutralization, washing, and crude acetone column and is then combined with the crude acetone stream. The combined acetone streams are provided to an acetone product column. According to some embodiments, the acetone product column comprises a side draw for obtaining a recycle acetone stream, which is recycled to the cleavage reactor(s). The recycle acetone side draw may be located lower on the acetone product column than the point from which product acetone is obtained. The disclosed methods increase the efficiency of the process.

A method for manufacturing 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene, including: reacting terephthaloyl chloride with diphenyl ether in a reaction solvent and in the presence of a Lewis acid, so as to obtain a product mixture including a 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene-Lewis acid complex; contacting the product mixture with an aqueous solution, so as to obtain an aqueous phase containing the Lewis acid and an organic phase containing 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene; heating at least the second phase up to a maximum temperature, followed by cooling the second phase down to a separation temperature; subjecting at least the second phase to a solid/liquid separation step at the separation temperature, so as to recover solid 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene.

A method for manufacturing 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene, including: reacting terephthaloyl chloride with diphenyl ether in a reaction solvent and in the presence of a Lewis acid, so as to obtain a product mixture including a 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene-Lewis acid complex; contacting the product mixture with an aqueous solution, so as to obtain an aqueous phase containing the Lewis acid and an organic phase containing 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene; heating at least the second phase up to a maximum temperature, followed by cooling the second phase down to a separation temperature; subjecting at least the second phase to a solid/liquid separation step at the separation temperature, so as to recover solid 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene.

A method for manufacturing 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene, including: reacting terephthaloyl chloride with diphenyl ether in a reaction solvent and in the presence of a Lewis acid, so as to obtain a product mixture including a 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene-Lewis acid complex; contacting the product mixture with an aqueous solution, so as to obtain an aqueous phase containing the Lewis acid and an organic phase containing 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene; heating at least the second phase up to a maximum temperature, followed by cooling the second phase down to a separation temperature; subjecting at least the second phase to a solid/liquid separation step at the separation temperature, so as to recover solid 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene.

Methods and systems for preparing acetone from cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) are disclosed. The disclosed methods involve cleaving CHP to form a cleavage product stream. In some embodiments, the cleavage product stream is separated into an overhead stream and a bottoms stream. The bottoms stream is neutralized, washed and then treated in a crude acetone column to provide a crude acetone stream. The overhead stream of the cleavage product is flashed forward in the process, bypassing the neutralization, washing, and crude acetone column and is then combined with the crude acetone stream. The combined acetone streams are provided to an acetone product column. According to some embodiments, the acetone product column comprises a side draw for obtaining a recycle acetone stream, which is recycled to the cleavage reactor(s). The recycle acetone side draw may be located lower on the acetone product column than the point from which product acetone is obtained. The disclosed methods increase the efficiency of the process.

Methods and systems for preparing acetone from cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) are disclosed. The disclosed methods involve cleaving CHP to form a cleavage product stream. In some embodiments, the cleavage product stream is separated into an overhead stream and a bottoms stream. The bottoms stream is neutralized, washed and then treated in a crude acetone column to provide a crude acetone stream. The overhead stream of the cleavage product is flashed forward in the process, bypassing the neutralization, washing, and crude acetone column and is then combined with the crude acetone stream. The combined acetone streams are provided to an acetone product column. According to some embodiments, the acetone product column comprises a side draw for obtaining a recycle acetone stream, which is recycled to the cleavage reactor(s). The recycle acetone side draw may be located lower on the acetone product column than the point from which product acetone is obtained. The disclosed methods increase the efficiency of the process.

A method of reducing a concentration of formaldehyde in an aqueous solution containing formaldehyde, hydroxyacetaldehyde and other sugar carbonyls is provided. The method includes adding an amino acid to the aqueous solution and maintaining the aqueous solution at a temperature for a duration sufficient for the formaldehyde and the amino acid to react according to a Maillard reaction to produce a final concentration of formaldehyde and a final concentration of hydroxyacetaldehyde in the aqueous solution. The final concentration of formaldehyde is substantially lower than an initial concentration of formaldehyde and the final concentration of hydroxyacetaldehyde is not substantially lower than an initial concentration of hydroxyacetaldehyde. An aqueous solution and a method of browning a foodstuff are also provided.

A method of reducing a concentration of formaldehyde in an aqueous solution containing formaldehyde, hydroxyacetaldehyde and other sugar carbonyls is provided. The method includes adding an amino acid to the aqueous solution and maintaining the aqueous solution at a temperature for a duration sufficient for the formaldehyde and the amino acid to react according to a Maillard reaction to produce a final concentration of formaldehyde and a final concentration of hydroxyacetaldehyde in the aqueous solution. The final concentration of formaldehyde is substantially lower than an initial concentration of formaldehyde and the final concentration of hydroxyacetaldehyde is not substantially lower than an initial concentration of hydroxyacetaldehyde. An aqueous solution and a method of browning a foodstuff are also provided.