Synthesis of cresols and xylenols from phenol and methanol

This report is the first of two reports that concern the manufacture of the same chemicals using two processes -- a conventional catalytic process and a solar photothermal catalytic process -- to determine the relative process economics. The results of a process study and evaluation for the synthesis of cresols and xylenols using a conventional catalytic process are presented in this report. (The solar photothermal catalytic process is evaluated in the second report, Synthesis of Cresols and Xylenols from Benzene and Methanol.) The process was a vapor-phase methylation of phenol using a high mole ratio of methanol over a solid acidic catalyst. An arbitrary base case plant size (fresh feed) of about 7 million kg/y (15.3 million lbm/y) was chosen and then escalated to a breakeven size. It was concluded that if a chemical company could obtain a fair share of the market, an estimated profitable operation would result for a plant size greater than 12.80 E6 kg/y of fresh feed

Endothermic photo-catalytic reactions

The overall objective of this report is to present the results of an investigation to provide guidelines for future experimental work, on solar energy driven endothermic photo-catalytic reactions, and primarily to select candidate synthesis reactions which lead to high $-value products. An intensive literature search was conducted to find properties, market demand, and prices of pertinent chemicals; meeting four criteria: (1) the reaction must be endothermic and favorable; (2) the reaction must be catalytic; (3) the product must be produced from low cost feedstocks; and (4) the product must have a sales price >$1.00/lb. Initial examination of low cost feedstocks to high value products lead to consideration of n-paraffins to aromatics and substituted aromatics. Fifteen candidate endothermic synthesis reactions, meeting the above criteria, are suggested. The ratio of product price by reactant cost indicates {approximately}5--8 for the best possibilities; all can be visualized as starting with low cost paraffin and methanol feedstocks