Process of preparing phenolic compositions

Claim 1

A process of preparing phenolic antioxidant compositions comprising reacting a combination comprising (A) one mole of at least one phenolic reactant having the following structural formula ##STR3## wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl radicals having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl radicals having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms, and aralkyl radicals having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms, with (B) at least one tertiary olefin having from 4 to 9 carbon atoms in the presence of 8 to 40 parts by weight of a catalyst consisting essentially of at least one sulfonic acid catalyst per mole of the phenolic reactant wherein (a) when R is hydrogen, the molar ratio of olefin to phenolic reactant is at least 2:1, (b) when R is other than hydrogen, the molar ratio of olefin to phenolic reactant is at least 1:1, (c) when the olefin contains 4 to 7 carbon atoms, the reaction is at least a two-step reaction the initial portion of the olefin being added in a high temperature step at a temperature of from 90° C. to 140° C., and a portion of the olefin being added subsequently in a low temperature step at a temperature of from 10° C. to 70° C. wherein when the phenolic reactant is phenol, 1 to 2 moles of the olefin are added during the high temperature step and at least one mole of the olefin is added subsequently in the low temperature step, with the proviso that where the total amount of olefin added is less than 3 moles, the last mole is added in the low temperature step, and where the total olefin added is at least 3 moles, at least the third mole is added in the low temperature step, and wherein when the phenolic reactant is a monosubstituted phenol the first mole of olefin is added in the high temperature step and the second mole of olefin is added in the low temperature step, (d) when the olefin contains 8 or 9 carbon atoms, the olefin is added at a temperature of from 50° C. to 110° C., (e) when the olefin contains 4 to 7 carbon atoms the water level is between 0 and 0.5 part of water per 100 parts by weight of phenolic reactant plus catalyst and (f) when the olefin contains 8 or 9 carbon atoms, the water level is from 0.1 part to 2.0 parts by weight of water per 100 parts by weight of phenolic reactant plus catalyst.