Process for the manufacture of vicinal glycols

Claim 1

In the process for the preparation of higher vicinal diols and/or higher vicinal polyols comprising hydrolyzing the corresponding epoxides of the formula ##EQU3## in which R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are each selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 28 carbon atoms, haloalkyl having 1 to 28 carbon atoms, alkoxyalkyl having 2 to 28 carbon atoms, epoxyalkyl having 3 to 28 carbon atoms, haloepoxyalkyl having 3 to 28 carbon atoms, alkoxyepoxyalkyl having from 4 to 28 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, with the proviso that the total number of carbon atoms in the epoxide is from 4 to 30 carbon atoms, with an aqueous solution of a catalyst, and recovering said diols and/or polyols; the improvement which comprises carrying out said hydrolysis with a catalyst consisting of an aqueous solution of salts selected from the group consisting of alkali metal salts, alkaline earth salts and mixtures thereof, of carboxylic acids selected from the group consisting of (a) alkanoic acids having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms with at least 0.5 parts by weight per part by weight of said epoxides of dissolving intermediaries, (b) alkanedioic acids having 3 to 24 carbon atoms, (c) alkenedioic acid having 4 to 24 carbon atoms, and (d) a mixture of at least one monocarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of an alkanoic acid having 1 to 24 carbon atoms and an alkenoic acid having 3 to 24 carbon atoms with at least one dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of an alkanedioic acid having 3 to 24 carbon atoms and an alkenedioic acid having 4 to 24 carbon atoms, at a temperature above 100°C, optionally in the presence of further dissolving intermediaries, said aqueous solution of said salts containing 1% to 20% of said salts and being present in an amount of at least 0.5 parts by weight of said salt solution per part by weight of said epoxide, said dissolving intermediaries being selected from the group consisting of water-soluble alkanones and water-soluble cyclic hydrocarbon ethers,.