GB884152A - Improvements in or relating to glycidyl ethers of polyhydric phenols - Google Patents

Abstract

Glycidyl ethers of polyhydric phenols are prepared by heating a solution of a polyhydric phenol in excess epichlorhydrin and adding a first aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide while maintaining the solution under total reflux, thereafter adding a second aqueous solution of said alkali metal hydroxide while distilling vapours of water and epichlorhydrin from the reaction mixture, removing the water from the vapours and recycling the epichlorhydrin to the reaction mixture, said first and second aqueous solutions each containing half of the total quantity of alkali metal hydroxide used and together containing at least 15% by weight of said alkali metal hydroxide, but not containing substantially more than one molar equivalent of hydroxide for each phenolic hydroxy group. Specified polyhydric phenols include novolak resins obtainable by acid catalyzed condensation of phenol, p-cresol or other phenol with aldehydes such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and crotonaldehyde.ALSO:Glycidyl ethers of polyhydric phenols are prepared by heating a solution of a polyhydric phenol in excess epichlorhydrin and adding a first aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide while maintaining the solution under total reflux, thereafter adding a second aqueous solution of said alkali metal hydroxide while distilling vapours of water and epichlorhydrin from the reaction mixture, removing the water from the vapours and recycling the epichlorhydrin to the reaction mixture, said first and second aqueous solutions each containing half of the total quantity of alkali metal hydroxide employed and together containing at least 15% by weight of alkali metal hydroxide, but not substantially more than one molar equivalent of hydroxide for each phenolic hydroxy group. Specified phenols are resorcinol, hydroquinone, methyl resorcinol, phloroglucinol, 1,5-dihydroxynapthalene, 4,41-dihydroxydiphenyl, bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) methane, 1,1-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) ethane, 1,1-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) isobutane, 2,2-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propane, 2,2-bis (4-hydroxylphenyl) butane, 2,2 bis (4-hydroxy-2-methylphenyl) propane, 2,2-bis (2-hydroxy-4-t-butylphenyl) propane, 2,2-bis (2-hydroxyphenyl) propane, 2, 41 - dihydroxydiphenyldimethyl methane, 2,2-bis (2-chloro-4-hydroxyphenyl) propane, 2,2-bis (2-hydroxynaphthyl) pentane, 2,2-bis (2,5-dibromo-4-hydroxyphenyl) butane, 4,41-dihydroxybenzophenone, 1,3-bis (4-hydroxyphenyloxy)-2-hydroxypropane, 3-hydroxyphenyl salicylate and 4-salicylaminophenol.