ROCESS FOR PREPARING HYDROXY AROMATES

• Main Authors: POLACZEK JERZY, KNIPS ULRICH, ZELLERHOFF ROBERT, ZAWADIAK JAN, ORLINSKA BEATA, GILNER DANUTA, WITOLD TECZA, STEC ZBIGNIEW, MACHOWSKA ZOFIA
• Format: Patent
• Language: Czech; English
• Published: 17.06.1998
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; APPARATUS THEREFOR; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; GENERAL METHODS OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

A method for the preparation of aromatic hydroxy compounds by catalytic oxidation of isoalkyl aromatic compounds with oxygen and degradation of the resulting hydroperoxide, comprises the following steps : (1) the isoalkyl aromatic compound is emulsified with an aqueous solution of the catalyst and the mixture is heated to a temperature between 50 degrees C and the emulsion b.pt. ; (2) oxygen is passed through the emulsion for 2-20 hours ; and (3) the hydroperoxide product is cleaved in the presence of an inorganic acid catalyst into an aromatic hydroxy compound and acetone. The isoalkyl compound used is 2-isopropyl naphthalene to form beta -naphthol, p-cymol to form p-cresol or m-diisopropyl benzene to form resorcinol. 0.000001-0.01 mole copper compound (preferably copper cyanide) per mole isoalkyl compound or 0.000001-0.2 mole inorganic cyanide or organic nitrile per mole hydroxy compound, are used as a catalyst. 0.001-1 part by weight alkali hydroxide or carbonate and 0.0001-0.1 part by weight surfactant (preferably a fatty acid or a salt thereof) are added per 100 parts by weight catalyst solution. The isoalkyl compound / catalyst solution volume ratio is 1:1.