PROCESS FOR DECOMPOSING PHENOL TAR

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a process whereby the rate of phenol tar converted into valuable products can be increased, and the rate of phenol tar converted into waste tar can be decreased, which process comprises introducing the phenol tar into a reactor under heating, treating it over a sufficient residence time by injecting steam and separating valuable products from waste tar. SOLUTION: It is desirable that the amount of steam be 1-15 wt.% based on the phenol tar, the absolute pressure in the reactor is below 3 bar, and the temperature is 300-340 deg.C. The tar is injected from an inlet pipe 20 into an upright heat decomposition apparatus 10 and settled on the bottom. Water/ steam is injected thereinto from a water/steam inlet pipe 90. The tar/water mixture enters a recirculation loop 30 from an inlet pipe 60. It passes a pump 40 and a heater 50 and is injected from an outlet pipe 70 into the apparatus 10. The tar/water mixture is refluxed the apparatus, part of the vapor is condensed in a condenser 110 for valuable products, and phenol, α-methylstyrene and cumene can be obtained. The waste tar is discharged from an outlet pipe 80 for waste tar.