Catalyst for the production of glycol

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING AN ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE SOLUTION AS CATALYST FOR THE CONDENSATION OF A SUBSTITUTED ISOCYCLIC HYDROXYL COMPOUND WITH AN ALKYLENE OXIDE WHICH COMPRISES MERGING A STREAM OF APPROXIMATELY 100 PARTS OF A SUBSTITUTED ISOCYCLIC COMPOUND IN FLUID FORM HAVING THE GENERAL FORMULA SP @ R-OH SP @ WHEREIN R REPRESENTS A PHENYL RING SUBSTIUTED AT LEAST ONCE BY A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL RADICALS AND ACYL RADICALS, SAID ALKYL AND ACYL RADICALS CONTAINING FROM 4 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS WITH A STREAM OF APPROXIMATELY 0.5 TO 2 PARTS OF A SOLUTION CONSISTING OF 25 TO 50 PARTS PF AN ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF POTASSIUM AND SODIUM HYDROXIDES, 5 TO 50 PARTS OF A LOWER ALKYL ALCOHOL HAVING FROM 1 TO 3 CARBON ATOMS, AND 25 TO 50 PARTS OF WATER, INTO A VERTICAL COLUMN FITTED WITH A RECEIVER AT ITS BASE, MAINTAINING SAID COLUMN AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 50 TO 115*C. AND AT A PRESSURE OF 5 TO 300 MM. OF MERCURY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO EFFECTUATE A SOLUTION OF THE SAID ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE IN SAID HYDROXYL COMPOUND, FLASHING OFF THE WATER AND ORGANIC SOLVENT OVERHEAD FROM SAID COLUMN AND COLLECTING THE RESULTING SOLUTION IN SAID RECEIVER.