Patent ID: 6593501
Filing Date: 2003-07-15
Classification: C07C,Y02P

Abstract:
A process for producing an aromatic hydroxyl compound alkylated at the ortho position, which comprises carrying out a gas phase catalytic reaction of an aromatic hydroxyl compound and an alkyl alcohol in the presence of a metal oxide catalyst and recovering and recycling the unreacted aromatic hydroxyl compound as starting material after the gas phase catalytic reaction, wherein said aromatic hydroxyl compound is a mixture of phenol and ortho cresol, and wherein the reaction mixture obtained from the gas phase catalytic reaction of an aromatic hydroxyl compound and an alkyl alcohol is supplied to a first distillation column, recoverinq from the column bottom the produced ortho-position-alkylated aromatic hydroxyl compound while recovering from the column top the unreacted aromatic hydroxyl compound and low-boiling point impurities and then the unreacted aromatic hydroxyl compound and low-boiling point impurities are supplied to a second distillation column, recovering from the column bottoms the unreacted aromatic hydroxyl compound and recycling it as starting material.