RECOVERY OF PHENOL AND ACETONE FROM BISPHENOL-A STREAMS

In a method of recovering phenol and acetone from a feed stream containing bisphenol-A and isomers thereof, the feed stream is contacted with water and a source of hydroxyl ions under conditions effective to decompose at least part of said bisphenol-A and isomers thereof to phenol and acetone. The conditions include a temperature of 150 C to 300 C, a pressure sufficient to keep the water substantially in the liquid phase at said temperature, and a molar ratio of hydroxyl ions to hydroxyphenyl groups in the residue stream from 0.3:1 to 0.9:1.