Bisphenol A → Methyl Bromide

Participants

Reaction Steps

In a reaction vessel was placed 1000 parts methanol and 230 parts of bisphenol-A. Bromine was fed over a 90 minute period in an amount between 0.99 and 0.995 times the theoretical amount needed to covert the bisphenol-A to tetrabromobisphenol-A. The method for brominating the bisphenol-A was generally in accordance with the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,556, incorporated herein by references as is fully set forth. The reaction mixture was held at reflux during the bisphenol-A bromination sequence and methyl bromide was produced during the entire bisphenol-A bromination process. After the bromine addition was completed, the system was held at reflux for 30 minutes to produce additional methyl bromide which was distilled out of the reaction mixture. Heating was stopped and 400 parts of water was added over a 30 minute period to precipitate the TBBPA and to halt methyl bromide production. The reaction medium was then allowed to cool to 30°-40° C. and TBBPA product was removed by centrifugation and wash with 5 parts of methanol and 5 parts of water. The centrate was neutralized with NaOH to a pH of 12-13 and then distilled to remove methanol. The resulting 870 parts of distillation column bottoms contained 1.7 weight percent sodium salts of tetrabromobisphenol-A, 1.7 weight percent sodium salts of tribromobisphenol-A, 0.2 weight percent sodium salts of tribromophenol, 0.2 weight percent sodium salts of other brominated phenolics, 0.5 weight percent NaOH, 0.3 parts of methanol, and about 12 weight percent NaBr.

Provenance & Evidence