Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of producing a glycidyl ether of a phenol comprising the steps of: (a) introducing a catalytic amount of a tri-n-butyl)methyl phosphonium bicarbonate salt into a liquid phase mixture of a phenol with excess epichlorohydrin to thereby produce at reactive conditions a coupled reaction product comprising the corresponding propylenechlorohydrin ether of said phenol; and (b) contacting the coupled reaction product in a liquid organic solvent with sufficient aqueous base in the presence of a catalytic amount of the tri(n-butyl)methyl phosphonium bicarbonate or its in situ derivative salts to convert the propylenechlorohydrin groups to glycidyl ether groups.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of producing a glycidyl ether of a phenol comprising the steps of: (a) introducing a catalytic amount of a tri-n-butyl)methyl phosphonium bicarbonate salt into a liquid phase mixture of a phenol with excess epichlorohydrin to thereby produce at reactive conditions a coupled reaction product comprising the corresponding propylenechlorohydrin ether of said phenol; and (b) contacting the coupled reaction product in a liquid organic solvent with sufficient aqueous base in the presence of a catalytic amount of the tri(n-butyl)methyl phosphonium bicarbonate or its in situ derivative salts to convert the propylenechlorohydrin groups to glycidyl ether groups.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process defined by claim 1 wherein step (a) is conducted at a temperature of from about 40° to about 200° C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process defined by claim 1 wherein step (a) is conducted at a temperature of from about 75° to 160° C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process defined by claim 1 wherein in step (b) said organic solvent is methylene chloride or toluene.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process defined by claim 4 further comprising washing said organic solution of the glycidyl ether of a phenol from step (b) with water so as to effect removal of substantially all ionic chloride contaminants.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process defined by claim 1 further comprising distilling the reaction product of step (a) to remove residual epichlorohydrin and 1,3 -dichloropropanol from the reaction product prior to step (b).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process defined by claim 1 wherein about 1.5 to about 20 equivalents of epichlorohydrin per phenolic hydroxyl group are present in step (a).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
The process defined by claim 1 wherein the phenol reactant is represented by ##STR6## wherein each R independently is hydrogen, halogen or a hydrocarbyl radical and X is oxygen, sulfur,--SO--,--SO 2 --, a bivalent hydrocarbon radical containing up to about 10 carbon atoms,--OR'O--, OR'OR'O--,--S--R'--S--,--S--R'--,--OSiO--,--OSiOSiO--, ##STR7## or--SO 2 --R'--SO 2 --radical, where R' is a bivalent hydrocarbon radical.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
89 words
The process defined by claim 1 wherein (a) epichlorohydrin is reacted with bisphenol A in a ratio of about 1.5 to about 20 equivalent of a epichlorohydrin per phenolic hydroxyl group at a temperature of from about 140° C. to about 175° C. to produce a coupled reaction product; and (b) the coupled reaction product is contacted in a methylene chloride solution with sufficient sodium hydroxide in the presence of a catalytic amount of a tri(n-butyl)methyl phosphonium bicarbonate salt, so as to produce the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
A process comprising introducing a catalytic amount of a tri(n-butyl)methyl phosphonium bicarbonate salt into a liquid phase medium containing a propylenechlorohydrin ether of a phenol in the presence of sufficient aqueous base, so as to convert the propylenechlorohydrin groups to glycidyl ether groups.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
A process comprising introducing a catalytic amount of a tri(n-butyl)methyl phosphonium bicarbonate salt into a liquid phase medium containing a propylenechlorohydrin ether of a phenol in the presence of sufficient aqueous base, so as to convert the propylenechlorohydrin groups to glycidyl ether groups.