Process for the production of an alkyl hydroperoxide

1. A process for the production of alkyl hydroperoxide by oxidation of a saturated hydrocarbon using molecular oxygen, the process comprising:

oxidizing the hydrocarbon using oxygen,

separating at least a part of a nonoxidized hydrocarbon from the reaction medium and recycling of the nonoxidized hydrocarbon to the oxidation step, and

washing, with water, an oxidation reaction medium recovered after the separation of at least a part of the nonoxidized saturated hydrocarbon, in order to extract water-soluble oxidized byproducts and to recover an organic phase comprising the alkyl hydroperoxide, the nonoxidized hydrocarbon and water-insoluble oxidized products,

wherein:

the washing step is carried out in a counter-current liquid/liquid extraction column, with the washing water being fed at the top of the column and the reaction medium to be washed, comprising the alkyl hydroperoxide, being fed at an intermediate position of the column;

the saturated hydrocarbon to be oxidized is fed into the washing column at a level below that at which the medium to be washed is fed;

the hydrocarbon is selected from the group consisting of cyclohexane, cyclooctane, cyclododecane and decalin;

the hydrocarbon fed in the washing operation is a hydrocarbon which does not originate from a recycling loop of the oxidation process; and

the hydrocarbon thus washed is introduced into the oxidation step.

2. The process as defined by claim 1 , wherein the alkyl hydroperoxide is cyclohexyl hydroperoxide, and the saturated hydrocarbon is cyclohexane.

3. The process as defined by claim 2 , wherein the washing is carried out at a temperature of from 80° C. to 100° C.