Extraction of phenol-containing effluent streams

1. A process for extracting phenol from a phenol-containing aqueous solution comprising contacting the aqueous solution with an extracting agent comprising a mixture of 60 to 99% of methyl isobutyl ketone, 1 to 40% of anisole and 0 to 20% of mesitylene, the % all occurrences being relative to the weight of the mixture.

2. The process according to claim 1 , in which the phenol concentration in the phenol-containing aqueous solution is 1–15% relative to the weight of the solution.

3. The process according to claim 1 in which the phenol-containing aqueous solution is at least partially derived from the production of bisphenol A.

4. The process according to claim 1 in which the phenol-containing aqueous solution contains sodium sulfate.

5. The process according to claim 1 in which the solution further contains acetone in an amount of up to 5% relative to the weight of the solution.

6. A process for extracting phenol from a phenol-and-acetone containing aqueous solution wherein acetone content is a positive amount of up to 5% relative to the weight of the solution comprising distilling the solution to separate at least some of the acetone to obtain a distilled solution and contacting the distilled solution with an extracting agent comprising a mixture of 60 to 99% relative to the weight of the mixture of methyl isobutyl ketone, 1 to 40% relative to the weight of the mixture of anisole and 0 to 20% relative to the weight of the mixture of mesitylene.

7. A process for extracting phenol from a phenol-containing aqueous solution comprising:

(i) contacting the aqueous solution with an extracting agent to obtain phenol and a material system that contains methyl isobutyl ketone, and

(ii) distilling the material system to obtain an aqueous solution wherein concentration of methyl isobutyl ketone is lower than that in the material system,

said extracting agent comprising a mixture of 60 to 99% of methyl isobutyl ketone, 1 to 40% of anisole and 0 to 20% of mesitylene, the % all occurrences being relative to the weight of the mixture.

8. A process for extracting phenol from a phenol-and-acetone-containing aqueous solution wherein acetone content is a positive amount of up to 5% relative to the weight of the solution comprising

(i) distilling the solution to separate at least some of the acetone to obtain a distilled solution

(ii) contacting the distilled solution with an extracting agent to obtain phenol and a material system that contains methyl isobutyl ketone, and

(iii) distilling the material system to obtain an aqueous solution wherein concentration of methyl isobutyl ketone is lower than that in the material system,

said extracting agent comprising a mixture of 60 to 99% relative to the weight the mixture of methyl isobutyl ketone, 1 to 40% relative to the weight of the mixture of anisole and 0 to 20% relative to the weight of the mixture of mesitylene.

9. A process for extracting phenol from a phenol-containing aqueous solution comprising contacting the aqueous solution with an extracting agent to obtain material system containing phenol and methyl isobutyl ketone and distilling the material system to obtain phenol, said extracting agent comprising a mixture of 60 to 99% of methyl isobutyl ketone, 1 to 40% of anisole and 0 to 20% of mesitylene, the % all occurrences being relative to the weight of the mixture.

10. A process for extracting phenol from a phenol-containing aqueous solution comprising acidifying said solution to a pH lower than 7 to obtain an acidified solution and contacting the acidified solution with an extracting agent comprising a mixture of 60 to 99% of methyl isobutyl ketone, 1 to 40% of anisole and 0 to 20% of mesitylene, the % all occurrences being relative to the weight of the mixture.