Sulfuric Acid → 2-Phenoxyethanol Ether

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

To a clean, dry stirred tank pressure vessel with nitrogen inlet is charged 1553.93 g (11.25 moles) of 2-Phenoxyethanol and a catalytic amount (16.67 g) of 45% KOH. The vessel is purged with nitrogen and heated to 110° C. Vacuum is applied for 1 hour to remove trace amounts of water and the temperature is raised to 150° C. A mixture of 1919.03 g (33.04 moles) of Propylene Oxide and 873.28 g (19.82 moles) of Ethylene Oxide is added at a constant rate to keep the pressure below 50 psig. After all Propylene Oxide/Ethylene Oxide is added, the reaction mixture is allowed to react for an additional hour after which the temperature is lowered to 110° C. and vacuum is applied for one hour. The reaction mixture is cooled to 65° C. and the catalyst is neutralized with an equivalent molar amount of 25% Sulfuric Acid.

Provenance & Evidence