Patent ID: 6740781
Filing Date: 2004-05-25
Classification: B01J,C07C,Y02P

Abstract:
A process for the removal and recovery of quaternary salt (A) and base (D) from a reaction mixture that contains in addition to (A) and (D), at least one hydroxyaromatic compound (B) and at least one reaction product (C) and optionally a solvent, comprisinga) adding acid to the reaction mixture to cause conversion of (D) into a hydroxyaromatic compound (B2) b) separating the reaction mixture into b1) that contains (C), a portion of (B2), and optionally (B) and b2 that contains (A), a portion of (B2), and optionally (B), wherein the separation is performed by a method selected from distillation, extraction, cascades and combinations thereof, and c) reacting b1 and b2) with a base (E) to re-form (D) where (A) conforms to(Qn+)m(Ymâˆ’)n, and (D) conforms to(Wl+)k[(âˆ’O)kArâ€²]l, wherein n, m, k and l independently one of the others represent integers,Arâ€² represents an aromatic group, Qn+ denotes a hexaalkylguanidinium ion or XRr+)n, wherein X denotes an atom selected from group consisting of group Va and group Via of the Periodic Table of the elements, r is an integer of 1 to 4, n is an integer of 1 to 10, and R independently represent C1-C18-alkyl, C1-C18-cycloalkyl, C7-C18-aralkyl or C6-C18-aryl with the proviso that a pair of substituents radicals may be replaced by a ring system, Ymâˆ’ is at least one member selected from the group consisting of halides, nitrate, sulfate, hydrogen sulfate, carbonate, hydrogen carbonate, phosphate, hydrogen phosphate, dihydrogen phosphate, tetrafluoroborate, perchlorate, carboxylates and hexafluorophosphates and m is an integer of 1 to 3, Wl+ is at least one member selected from the group consisting of alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, rare earth metal, transition metal and quaternary cations Qn+, (B) and (B2) independently correspond to the formula Ar(OH)p, wherein Ar represents a aromatic group and p is an integer from 1 to 4, (E) is one or more hydroxide of a member selected from the group consisting of alkaline earth metal, alkali metal, ammonium and Qn+ and wherein acid is at least one member selected from the group consisting of hydrobromic acid, hydrochloric acid, carbon dioxide, phosphoric acid, dihydrogen phosphate, nitric acid, formic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, hydrogen sulfate and sulfuric acid.