Process for producing bisphenol A

• US 6,686,508 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Idemitsu Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited)
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Ken, Hirano, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shippen, Michael L.
• Application Number:
  US10/258,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 568/728
• US Class Current: 568/728
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 2531/10 sulfonated
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 37/20 using aldehydes or ketones
• 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 37/84 by crystallisation
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 39/16 Bis-(hydroxyphenyl) alkanes; Tris-(hydroxyphenyl)alkanes

Abstract

Provided is a production process for high quality bisphenol A which is reduced in a sulfonic acid-containing heavy matter contained in the product and which is improved in a hue. In an after-treating step for a reaction mixed solution obtained by condensing excess phenol with acetone in the presence of an acid catalyst, a filtering step by a filter is provided at least in one step between a step for dissolving an adduct of bisphenol A and phenol by using a phenol-containing solution and a step for crystallizing and separating the above adduct from this solution.

Claims

1. A production process for bisphenol A in which carried out as essential steps after condensing excess phenol with acetone in the presence of an acid catalyst to form bisphenol A are (A) a step for condensing a reaction mixed solution containing substantially no acid catalyst described above, (B) a step for crystallizing and separating an adduct of bisphenol A and phenol from a condensed residual solution obtained in the step (A) described above, (C) a step for dissolving the adduct of bisphenol A and phenol crystallized and separated in the step (B) described above by using a phenol-containing solution, (D) a step for crystallizing and separating the adduct of bisphenol A and phenol from the solution obtained in the step (C) described above and, if necessary, repeating at least once an operation for further dissolving the above adduct by using the phenol-containing solution and then crystallizing and separating it and (E) a step for heating and melting the adduct of bisphenol A and phenol crystallized and separated in the step (D) described above and then distilling phenol off,

wherein a filtering step by a filter is provided at least in one step between the step for dissolving the adduct of bisphenol A and phenol by using the phenol-containing solution in step (C) or step (D) and the step for crystallizing and separating the above adduct from this solution.

2. The production process for bisphenol A as described in claim 1, wherein the filter is a glass fiber filter.

3. The production process for bisphenol A as described in claim 1, wherein the acid catalyst is a sulfonic acid type cation exchange resin.

4. The production process for bisphenol A as described in claim 2, wherein the acid catalyst is a sulfonic acid type cation exchange resin.