Process for producing propylene glycol methyl ether

摘要

Propylene glycol methyl ether is produced by feeding a solution of a basic catalyst in methanol to a catalytic distillation column containing a heterogeneous basic catalyst defining a heterogeneous reaction zone, and feeding propylene oxide to the column. The methanol reacts with the propylene oxide according to a dual homogeneous catalytic reaction and heterogeneous catalytic reaction to form propylene glycol methyl ether, which is removed from the column as a bottoms product. Alternatively, methanol can be reacted with propylene oxide in a pre-reactor, to form propylene glycol methyl ether, and, when the temperature in the pre-reactor reaches about 100° C., the reaction products are transferred to the catalytic distillation column for further reaction.

主权项

1. A process for producing propylene glycol methyl ether, comprising
(a) dissolving a solid basic catalyst in methanol to form a homogeneous solution, (b) feeding the solution to a catalytic distillation column containing a heterogeneous basic catalyst fixed in place in the column, defining a heterogeneous reaction zone, wherein the heterogeneous basic catalyst is an anion exchange resin in free base form selected from weak anionic resins based on a macroporous, cross-linked, styrene divinyl benzene polymer structure having a tertiary amine functionality (c) feeding propylene oxide to the column, wherein, in the column, methanol reacts with propylene oxide according to a dual homogeneous catalytic reaction and heterogeneous catalytic reaction to form propylene glycol methyl ether, and (d) removing substantially pure propylene glycol methyl ether from the column as a bottoms product.