Patent ID: 9340474
Filing Date: 2016-05-17
CPC Classification: C07B,C07C

Claim Text:
1. A process for producing phenol and/or cyclohexanone, the process comprising: (a) providing a cleavage reaction mixture containing cyclohexyl-1-phenyl-hydroperoxide and cyclohexylbenzene; (b) contacting at least a portion of the cleavage reaction mixture with sulfuric acid and water under cleavage conditions effective to form a cleavage reaction effluent containing phenol, cyclohexanone, cyclohexylbenzene, water, sulfuric acid, and 1-phenylcyclohexanol; (c) neutralizing at least a portion of the cleavage reaction effluent with a basic material to produce a neutralized cleavage product; and (d) supplying at least a portion of the neutralized cleavage product in the absence of an added dehydration catalyst to a distillation column which is operated so that at least a portion of the neutralized cleavage product is exposed to a temperature within the range from 80° C. to 120° C. at at least one location in the distillation column whereby at least a portion of the 1-phenylcyclohexanol in the neutralized cleavage product is dehydrated to phenylcyclohexene.