PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYHYDROXYL COMPOUNDS

• Main Author: WAGNER, KUNO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 28.10.1980
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; ADHESIVES; APPARATUS THEREFOR; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CULTURE MEDIA; DERIVATIVES THEREOF; DYES; ENZYMOLOGY; GENERAL METHODS OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONSONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; NATURAL RESINS; NUCLEIC ACIDS; NUCLEOSIDES; NUCLEOTIDES; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PAINTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; POLISHES; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPECIFIC USE OF COSMETICS OR SIMILAR TOILETPREPARATIONS; SPIRITS; SUGARS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING; USE OF INORGANIC OR NON-MACROMOLECULAR ORGANIC SUBSTANCES ASCOMPOUNDING INGREDIENTS; VINEGAR; WINE

A process is disclosed for preparing mixtures of low molecular weight polyhydroxyl compounds and hydroxyaldehydes and hydroxyketones by condensing formaldehyde hydrate with itself in the presence of (I) as catalyst a soluble or insoluble compound of a metal of the first to eighth sub-group or second to fourth main group of the Periodic System of Elements, optionally bound to a high molecular weight carrier, and (II) more than 10% by weight, based on formaldehyde, of one or more dihydric or higher hydric low molecular weight alcohols and/or higher molecular weight polyhydroxyl compounds. The pH of the reaction mixture is held at 5.5 to 9.0 until 5-40% conversion has occurred and is then lowered to between 4.5 and 8.0 (0.5-2.0 pH units lower). The reaction is then stopped by inactivating the catalyst.