Process for the production of bisphenol A

• US 5,399,784 A
• Filed: 09/23/1993
• Issued: 03/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Chiyoda Corporation (Mitsubishi Corporation)
• Inventors: Maejima, Tetsuo, Yasui, Makoto, Asaoka, Sachio, Yoneda, Noriyuki, Shindo, Akio, Sakashita, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Richter, Johann
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peabody, John
• Application Number:
  US08/125,137
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 568/724, 568/728, 568/749
• US Class Current: 568/728
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 37/685 Processes comprising at least two steps in series
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 37/70 by physical treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 37/82 by solid-liquid treatment; by chemisorption
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 37/86 by treatment giving rise to a chemical modification chemisorption C07C37/82
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 39/04 Phenol
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 39/16 Bis-(hydroxyphenyl) alkanes; Tris-(hydroxyphenyl)alkanes

Abstract

A high quality bisphenol A with a high purity and an excellent hue is produced from a crystalline adduct of bisphenol A and phenol by washing the adduct with specifically purified phenol, followed by decomposition of the washed adduct to separate bisphenol A. The purification is performed by a method including contacting raw material phenol with a strong-acid ion exchange resin to obtain treated phenol, and distilling the treated phenol.

Claims

1. A process for the production of bisphenol A, comprising the steps of:

(a) reacting acetone with a stoichiometrically excess amount of phenol to obtain a bisphenol A-containing product;

(b) crystallizing said product to obtain a crystalline adduct of bisphenol A and phenol;

(c) providing raw material phenol which contains an impurity convertible to a high boiling point material having a boiling point of higher than 185°

C. upon being heated at a temperature higher than the melting point of phenol;

(d) contacting said raw material phenol with a gel-type sulfonic acid-type cation exchange resin having a degree of cross-linking of 10% by weight or less at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to convert at least part of said impurity into said high boiling point material and to obtain treated phenol;

(e) distilling said treated phenol at a temperature of 185°

C. or less to separate purified phenol, as distillate, from said high boiling point material;

(f) washing said adduct with said purified phenol; and

(g) decomposing said washed adduct to obtain bisphenol A.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said raw material phenol includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of phenol of an industrial use grade, phenol recovered from step (a), phenol recovered from step (b) and phenol recovered from step (f).

3. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cation exchange resin has a degree of cross-linking of 5% by weight or less.