Phenol → 2-sec-Butylphenol

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

105 g of phenol and 5.0 g of aluminum oxide catalyst that was calcined in air at a temperature of 450° C. was charged in an autoclave and heated to 220° C. A raffinate stream containing 82.4% isobutylene, 1.3% 1-butene, and 16.3% isobutane was then charged over a period of 3 hours. The amount of raffinate charged was 70 g with an isobutylene to phenol mole ratio of 1.13:1. The yield of OTBP at the end of 6 hours was 50.41%, down from 52% at the 5-hour mark. The amount of 1-butene in the feed that reacted to form 2-sec-butylphenol and 2-sec-butyl-4-tert-butylphenol was 44.5%. The amount of the two sec-butylphenol impurities (2-sec-butylphenol and 2-sec-butyl-4-tert-butylphenol) were 0.44 area percent and 0.15%, respectively.

Provenance & Evidence