Process for preparing oxyalkylated derivatives

Claim 1

A TWO-STEP PROCESS FOR PREPARING SUBSTANTILLY ANHYDROUS, SUBSTANTIALLY UNDILUTED OXYALKYLATED DERIVATIVES FROM AN ANHYDROUS, SOLID, OXYALKYLATION-SUSCEPTIBLE DISACCHARIDE, WHICH SOLID SUFFERS AT LEAST PARTIAL DECOMPOSITION IF MAINTAINED AT ITS BEGINNING-OF-FUSION TEMPERATURE FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST 15 MINUTES IN THE PRESENCE OF AN OXYALKYLATION CATALYST, AND WHICH SOLID IS INSOLUBLE IN OXYALKYLATION-RESISTANT, DISTILLATION-SEPARABLE SOLVENTS; WHICH PROCESS CONSISTS IN: (A) FIRST REACTING SAID ANHYDROUS SOLID WITH AT LEAST ON ANHYDROUS ALKYLENE CARBONATE SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE CARBONATE, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, BUTYLENE CARBONATE, HYDROXYPROYLENE CARBONATE, AND HYDROXYBUTYLENE CARBONATE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ANHYDROUS ALKALINE OXYALKYLATION CATALYST; THE PROPORTION OF ALKYLENE CARBONATE EMPLOYED BEING SUFFICIENT TO YIELD A PRODUCT WHICH IS AT LEAST LIQUEFIABLE AT THE TEMPERATURE REQUIRED TO EFFECT ITS SUBSEQUENT OXYALKYLATION USING AT LEAST ONE ALKYLENE OXIDE, SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, PROPYLENE OXIDE, BUTYLENE OXIDE, GLYCID, AND METHYLGLYCID; AND (B) SUBSEQUENTLY REACTING SUCH PARTIALLY OXYALKYLATED DERIVATIVE WITH AT LEAST ONE ANHYDROUS ALKYLENE OXIDE SELECTED FROM THE AFORSAID CLASS OF ALKYLENE OXIDES.