Cumene process

First stage of Hock process: alkylation of benzene with propylene.
Second stage of Hock process: autoxidation of cumene.

The cumene process (cumene-phenol process, Hock process) is an industrial process for synthesizing phenol and acetone from benzene and propylene. The term stems from cumene (isopropyl benzene), the intermediate material during the process. It was invented by R. Ūdris and P. Sergeyev in 1942 (USSR),[1] and independently by Heinrich Hock in 1944.[2][3]

This process converts two relatively cheap starting materials, benzene and propylene, into two more valuable ones, phenol and acetone. Other reactants required are oxygen from air and small amounts of a radical initiator. Most of the worldwide production of phenol and acetone is now based on this method. In 2022, nearly 10.8 million tonnes of phenol was produced by the cumene process.[4] In order for this process to be economical, there must also be demand for the acetone by-product as well as the phenol.[5]

  1. ^ "Latvian". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
  2. ^ Hock, H. and Lang, S. (1944), Autoxydation von Kohlenwasserstoffen, IX. Mitteil.: Über Peroxyde von Benzol-Derivaten. Berichte der deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft (A and B Series), 77: 257–264 doi:10.1002/cber.19440770321
  3. ^ Concise Encyclopedia Chemistry (1993) Mary Eagleso
  4. ^ "Phenol Market Size, Share, Analysis & Forecast, 2035 – ChemAnalyst". ChemAnalyst. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  5. ^ "Direct Routes to Phenol". Archived from the original on 2007-04-09. Retrieved 2006-12-26.