Patent ID: 7579506
Filing Date: 2009-08-25
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
1. A process for producing cyclohexanone, which consists essentially of: oxidizing cyclohexane to cyclohexyl hydroperoxide by oxygen in the absence of catalyst, purifying the resulting reaction mixture by washing with water, decomposing the cyclohexyl hydroperoxide to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone in the presence of a catalyst, recovering the cyclohexanol/cyclohexanone mixture by the separation of unreacted cyclohexane and the separation of products with higher boiling points than cyclohexanol/cyclohexanone, wherein the cyclohexanol/cyclohexanone mixture comprises α,β-cyclopentene-cyclopentane-1-carboxaldehyde, dehydrogenating the cyclohexanol present in the cyclohexanol/cyclohexanone mixture in the presence of a dehydrogenation catalyst, under conditions effective to convert the α,β-cyclopentene-cyclopentane-1-carboxaldehyde to at least one compound separable from cyclohexanone by distillation, distilling the mixture in a first distillation step to obtain a top fraction (F distilling the bottom fraction (Q wherein the distillation steps are effective to separate the at least one compound separable from cyclohexanone by distillation, from the cyclohexanone.