Alkaline stabilization of polyoxyalkylene glycols

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL HAVING A MELTING POINT OF AT LEAST ABOUT 37*C. WHEREIN AN ALKALINE CATALYST IS EMPLOYED AND WHEREIN UPON THE FORMATION OF SAID POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL SAID ALKALINE CATALYST IS NEUTRALIZED AND THE CRUDE REACTION PRODUCT THEREBY FORMED IS SUBSEQUENTLY FILTERED, THE IMPROVEMENT OF ADDING TO AND DISPERSING IN THE FILTERED POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL PRODUCT, AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SAID POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL, FROM ABOUT 0.001 PERCENT TO ABOUT 0.2 PERCENT BY WEIGHT BASED UPON SAID POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL OF A STABILIZER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF DISODIUM HYDROGEN PHOSPHATE, DILITHIUM HYDROGEN PHOSPHATE, DIPOTASSIUM HYDROGEN PHOSPHATE, TRISODIUM PHOSPHATE, TRILITHIUM PHOSPHATE, TRIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM CARBONATE, LITHIUM CARBONATE, POTASSIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM ACETATE, LITHIUM ACETATE AND POTASSIUM ACETATE, THE AMOUNT OF SAID STABILIZER BEING COMMENSURATE WITH A PH OF UP TO ABOUT 7 IN THE RESULTING PRODUCT, THEREBY STABILIZING SAID POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL TO OXIDATIVE DEGRADATION.