Drivers for Performing Rearrangements of Hydroperoxides in Micro Reactors

1 Drivers for Performing Rearrangements of Hydroperoxides in Micro Reactors 

The only investigation so far refers to the second reaction of a two-step industrial process, the Hock process, which is used for phenol production world-wide [64]. 

cumene hydroperoxide is rearranged to provide phenol and acetone via acid cleavage. 

As this acid cleavage releases considerable heat, the apparatus used needs efficient heat exchange units [64]. Selectivity of the hydroperoxide cleavage is affected if temperature rises in an undesired manner. For this reason, not the technical 65-90 wt.-% solutions, but rather strongly diluted ones (e.g. below 10%) are employed. In the first case, a sudden loss of the heat exchange function could result in an temperature increase from 50 to 500 °C within seconds. 

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