Process Economics Program Report 22C
Phenol
Published March 1991
This is the fourth in a series of reports on the manufacture of phenol. The report contains preliminary process designs and cost estimates for the cumene peroxidation process, the toluene oxidation process, and a conceptual process based on a Mitsui Petrochemicals patent that entails partially hydrogenating benzene to cyclohexene, reacting the cyclohexene with water to form cyclohexanol, and dehydrogenating the cyclohexanol to produce phenol. In addition, this report includes a discussion of research developments since the last PEP report was written (1977), a discussion of the basic chemistry of the manufacturing processes, and a discussion of the industry status.