Process of producing polyglycidyl ethers of polyhydric phenols

Claim 1

METHOD FOR THE CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF A POLYGLYCIDYL ETHER WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING A MIXTURE CONTAINING A POLYHYDRIC PHENOL, AN EPIHALOHYDRIN SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF EPICHLOROHYDRIN AND EPIBROMOHYDRIN IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE AT LEAST 2 MOLECULES OF EPIHALOHYDRIN PER PHENOLIC HYDROXYL GROUP INTO THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF SIX REACTION STAGES, CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING THE CONTENTS OF EACH REACTION STAGE INTO THE NEXT SUCCEEDING STAGE WHILE CONTINUOUSLY METERING AN ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE THERETO IN THE FOLLOWING AMOUNTS: FROM ABOUT 4 TO ABOUT 6 PERCENT OF STOICHIOMETRIC INTO EACH OF THE FIRST THREE REACTION STAGES, FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 15 PERCENT OF STOICHIOMETRIC INTO THE FOURTH REACTION STAGE, FROM ABOUT 15 TO ABOUT 25 PERCENT OF STOICHIOMETRIC INTO THE FIFTH REACTION STAGE, AN AMOUNT INTO THE SIXTH REACTION STAGE SUCH THAT A TOTAL OF FROM ABOUT 75 TO ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF STOICHIOMETRIC IS ADDED INTO THE FIRST SIX REACTION STAGES, CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING THE CONTENTS OF REACTION STAGE 6 COMPRISING A BRINE LAYER, AN ORGANIC LAYER, AND SALT INTO A DECANTATION STAGE AND CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING THE SALT AND BRINE LAYER FROM THE ORGANIC LAYER, CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING THE ORGANIC LAYER INTO AND OUT OF A SEVENTH AND EIGHTH REACTION STAGE WHILE METERING ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE INTO SAID STAGES IN THE FOLLOWING AMOUNTS: FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 5 PERCENT OF STOICHIOMETRIC INTO THE EIGHTH REACTION STAGE AND THE REMAINDER INTO THE SEVENTH REACTION STAGE, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE ADDED TO THE SYSTEM RANGING FROM ABOUT 95 TO ABOUT 115 PERCENT OF STOICHIOMETRIC, CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING THE CONTENTS OF THE EIGHTH REACTION STAGE COMPRISING BRINE, SALT, AND AN ORGANIC LAYER INTO A SECOND DECANTATION STAGE, CONTIUOUSLY REMOVING THE ORGANIC LAYER THEREFROM AND RECOVERING THE POLYGLYCIDYL ETHER FROM SAID ORGANIC LAYER, THE RATE OF FEED INTO AND OUT OF EACH REACTION STAGE AND EACH DECANTATION STAGE BEING SUCH THAT THE VOLUME IN THE REACTION STAGES AND IN THE DECANTATION STAGES IS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT.