TechnipFMC has been granted a patent for a method of treating residual streams from bisphenol manufacture. The method involves using an acidic catalyst to hydrolyze organic sulfides in the residual stream, producing an effluent stream. The effluent stream is then distilled to recover distillate products and a bottoms product with lower organic sulfide content. The patent also includes a method for producing bisphenol-A using similar steps. GlobalData’s report on TechnipFMC gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on TechnipFMC, Water gas shift catalysts was a key innovation area identified from patents. TechnipFMC's grant share as of September 2023 was 58%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Method for treating residual stream from bisphenol manufacture
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11760710B2) discloses a method for producing bisphenol-A. The method involves several steps to efficiently convert acetone and phenol into bisphenol-A while minimizing the presence of impurities such as trisphenols and organic sulfides.
The method begins with the condensation of acetone and phenol in the presence of a solid acid catalyst promoted with a thiol. This reaction produces a first effluent stream containing bisphenol isomers, unreacted phenol, trisphenols, organic sulfides, and water. The bisphenol-A is then recovered from this stream, leaving behind a residual stream consisting of bisphenol isomers depleted in bisphenol-A, unreacted phenol, trisphenols, organic sulfides, and water.
The residual stream is then divided into two portions. The first portion is subjected to isomerization using a second catalyst, which converts the bisphenol isomers into bisphenol-A, resulting in a second effluent stream. At least part of this second effluent stream can be recycled back to the condensation step or the recovery step.
The second portion of the residual stream is treated with a third catalyst in a separate reactor. This catalyst facilitates the hydrolysis of organic sulfides in the residual stream, converting them into thiols and producing a third effluent stream. The third effluent stream is then distilled to recover distillate products containing phenol and thiols, while the bottoms product consists of bisphenol isomers and trisphenols with a lower content of organic sulfides compared to the residual stream.
The patent also includes additional claims, such as the recycling of distillate products to the condensation step, the use of specific acidic ion exchange resins as catalysts, the use of alkanethiols as thiol promoters, and the temperature ranges for the various steps.
Overall, this patented method provides an efficient and effective process for producing bisphenol-A with reduced impurities, making it suitable for industrial-scale production.
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GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
