Production of high molecular weight polyoxyalkylene compounds

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYOXYALKYLENE COMPOUNDS WHEREIN A 1,2-ALKYLENE OXIDE HAVING FROM TWO TO FOUR CARBON ATOMS IS REACTED WITH A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MONOAND POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOLS IN THE PRESSNCE OF A CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE ALKALI METALS AND THE OXIDES, HYDROXIDES CARBONATAES AND ALKOXIDES OF THE ALKALI METALS, AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 50* TO ABOUT 160*C. IN A REACTION ZONE, AND WHEREIN SAID CATALYST IS INTRODUCED INTO SAID REACTION ZONE INTERMITTENTLY DURING THE COURSE OF THE PROCESS, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE ADMIXING SAID CATALYST WITH A POLYOXYALYLENE SOLVENT AND A MUTUAL SOLVENT FOR SAID CATALYST AND SAID POLYOXYALKLYENE SOLVENT OUTSIDE OF SAID REACTION ZONE, DISTILLING SAID MUTUAL SOLVENT FROM THE RESULTING MIXTURE, THEREBY FORMING A CATALYST SOLUTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF SAID CATALYST AND SAID POLYOXYLAKYLENE SOLVENT, INTRODUCING SAID CATALYST IN THE FORM OF SAID RESULTING CATALYST SOLUTION INTO SAID REACTION ZONE AT EACH OF SAID INTERMITTENT CATALYST ADDITIONS, EMPLOYING AS SAID POLYOXYALKYLENE SOLVENT FOR SAID CATALYST A PORTION OF THE POLYOXYALKYLENE REACTION PRODUCT PRESENT IN SAID REACTION ZONE AT THE TIME OF EFFECTING SAID INTRODUCTION OF SAID CATALYST SOLUTION INTO SAID REACTION ZONE AND INTRODUCING INTO SAID REACTION ZONE DURING EACH OF SAID INTERMITTENT ADDITIONS AN AMOUNT OF SAID CATALYST SOLUTION CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 0.05% TO ABOUT 1% BY WEIGHT OF SAID CATAALYST BASED UPON THE AMOUNT OF REACTANTS TO BE REACTED AT THE TIME OF SAID CATALYST ADDITION.