Apart from the application of heuristics and analysis of chemical and thermodynamic properties, I made the conceptual design of the process for the hydrogenation of 2-methylphenol (also known as o-cresol). The reaction proceeds over a catalyst to form 2-methylcyclohexanone (ON) which reacts to form two stereoisomers (cis-2-methylcyclohexaol and trans-2-methylcyclohexanol). The reaction mechanism is shown in Figure 1, as well as chemical equilibrium data.

OH CHE 1.0 tr-OL MF OH 6.BE s-OL CHE - CHE 0.6F H FRACCIN MOLAR EN EQUILIBRIO 2 Hz 0.4 ME OH ON cs-OL CHs 0.2 ON 100 300 400 tr-OL 200 TEMPERATURA (C) OH CHE 1.0 tr-OL MF OH 6.BE s-OL CHE - CHE 0.6F H FRACCIN MOLAR EN EQUILIBRIO 2 Hz 0.4 ME OH ON cs-OL CHs 0.2 ON 100 300 400 tr-OL 200 TEMPERATURA (C)