INEOS Phenol – Phenol and Acetone Chemistry (Case Study)

With the commercialization of the phenolic resins in the beginning of the twentieth century, the demand of phenol grew significantly. Since the 1950s, the cumene-to-phenol process is the predominant synthetic route for the production of phenol with acetone as the co-product. Cumene is oxidized with oxygen to form cumene hydroperoxide (CHP). The peroxide is subsequently decomposed to phenol and acetone, using sulfuric acid as a catalyst. The products are purified in a series of distillation columns. The cumene-to-phenol process at INEOS Phenol is described in more detail in this chapter. Safety considerations with focus on hazards from producing and processing CHP are included.