To provide a method for producing an alkylbenzene hydroperoxide by using an alkylbenzene as a starting raw material and oxidizing with an oxygen-containing gas, and having excellent effect to produce the alkylbenzene hydroperoxide on an industrial scale in high efficiency.
The production method includes an oxidizing step, a depressurizing step and a cooling step, and recycles a liquid phase containing an alkylbenzene and obtained by cooling a gaseous phase obtained by the depressurizing step to the oxidizing step. The oxidizing step oxidizes the alkylbenzene with an oxygen-containing gas under pressure to obtain an alkylbenzene hydroperoxide, the depressurizing step supplies a solution containing the alkylbenzene hydroperoxide obtained by the oxidizing step to a vessel maintained to a pressure lower than the reaction pressure of the oxidizing step and forms a gaseous phase and a liquid phase, and the cooling step cools the gaseous phase obtained by the depressurizing step and separates the phase into gas and liquid and obtain a liquid phase containing the alkylbenzene.
SHIRAISHI SHIGENORI
Toru Nakayama
Masayuki Enomoto