Method of making polyoxyalkylene ethers

Claim 1

IN MAKING A POLYOXYALKYLENE ETHER, THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A MIXTURE CONTAINING APPROXIMATELY 2 MOLS AT LEAST OF A NONVOLATILE ALKALI, 1 MOL AT LEAST OF A POLYHALOGENATED LINKING AGENT, 1 MOL OF A POLYGLYCOL, AND 1 MOL OF AN ACIDIC COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MERCAPTANS, PHENOLS AND CRESOLS, HEATING THE MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE 100* TO 250* C., CONTINUING THE HEATING UNTIL THERE IS FORMED A HALIDE SALT OF THE ELECTROPOSITIVE COMPONENT OF THE SAID ALKALI AND A POLYOXYALKYLENE ETHER AND UNTIL THERE IS NO SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL FORMATION OF THE SAID SALT, AND THEN SEPARATING THE SALT FROM THE POLYOXYALKYLENE ETHER, THE POLYOXYALKYLENE ETHER INCLUDING A RESIDUE REPRESENTING THE LINKING AGENT LESS AT LEAST 2 HALOGEN ATOMS AND THIS RESIDUE LINKING THE GROUP REPRESENTING THE POLYGLYCOL LESS 1 HYDROGEN OF AN ORIGINAL HYDROXYL RADICAL AND A SECOND GROUP REPRESENTING THE SAID ACIDIC COMPOUND LESS 1 REPLACEABLE HYDROGEN.