Patent ID: 7485758

Claim:
A method for the production of phenol and acetone from a cumene hydroperoxide mixture comprising: a first stage and a second stage and at least two serially connected reactors, wherein the first stage comprises decomposition of a cumene hydroperoxide mixture in the presence of a catalyst mixture to form a dicumyl peroxide mixture, and the second stage comprises formation of a phenol and acetone mixture from decomposition of the dicumyl peroxide mixture formed in the first stage, wherein the first stage further comprises: a) forming a catalyst mixture by combining sulfuric acid and phenol in a weight ratio of from 2:1 to 1:1000 in a catalyst formation reactor; b) holding the catalyst mixture in the catalyst formation reactor at a temperature of about 20 to 80° C. for about 1 to 600 minutes; and, c) adding the catalyst mixture to the cumene hydroperoxide mixture to form the phenol and acetone mixture.