Patent ID: 9162952
Filing Date: 2015-10-20
Classification: C07C,C10C,C10G

Abstract:
1. A process for extracting at least one product from coal tar comprising: providing a coal tar fraction having a boiling point in a range of about 180° C. to about 230° C.; separating the coal tar fraction having the boiling point in the range of about 180° C. to about 230° C. into an acidic portion and a non-acidic portion by contacting the coal tar fraction having the boiling point in the range of about 180° C. to about 230° C. with a caustic compound, the acidic portion comprising a mixture of phenols, cresols, and xylenols, and the non-acidic portion comprising naphthalenes and naphthalene coboilers; separating the acidic portion into a product cresol portion comprising a mixture of cresols and a product xylenol portion comprising a mixture of xylenols by contacting the acidic portion with a cresol adsorbent comprising discrete crystallites of less than 1.8 μm, the cresol adsorbent having less than 10 wt % amorphous binder component, and desorbing the product cresol portion from the cresol adsorbent with a cresol desorbent, or separating the non-acidic portion into a product naphthalene portion comprising aromatic hydrocarbons having two aromatic rings and a product naphthalene co-boiler portion comprising aromatic hydrocarbons having one aromatic ring by contacting the non-acidic portion with a naphthalene adsorbent comprising discrete crystallites of less than 1.8 μm, the naphthalene adsorbent having less than 10 wt % amorphous binder component, and desorbing the product naphthalene portion from the naphthalene adsorbent with a naphthalene desorbent, or both.