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Abstract
Phenol and phenolsulfonic acids are rapidly sulfonated and desulfonated in aqueous sodium hydrogen sulfate, with or without added sulfuric acid. At temperatures above 130°C, desulfonation competes with sulfonaton sufficiently to allow steam stripping of phenol from the reaction mixtures, even under conditions of low water content. Above 170°C removal of phenol is less efficient because the water content is very low and the predominant species in the reaction mixture is 2,4,6-phenoltrisulonate.