Alkoxylation in a microstructured capillary reactor

摘要

In a novel microstructured reactor with parallel groups of channels for carrying out reactions between liquid reactants (optionally in presence of solid catalysts) in regions forming two or more plan parallel plates or layers, mixing of the starting materials is carried out in a single liquid phase in each channel and heat exchangers (for cooling or heating) are provided such that the reactor is at a pressure of up to 800 bars and at -30 to +400[deg]C. Independent claims are included for: (A) the preparation of polyether alcohols of formula R 1>-(X-(CH 2CHR 2>O) n-H) m (I) by alkoxylation of alcohols, thiols or amines of formula R 1>(XH) m (II) using the above reactor, by (i) supplying a mixture of (II) and a catalyst to the reactor, (ii) feeding 1-300 (preferably 2-150) equivalents of alkylene oxide (III) directly or at several sites to the reactor, (iii) mixing (III) with (II), the catalyst and/or their product, (iv) reacting in the reaction channels at 50-300[deg]C and 11-800 bars and (v) cooling the product; and (B) the compounds (I) obtained by the above process, provided that n = 1-100 (preferably 10-100) and the molecular weight distribution M w/M n is not more than 1.20 (preferably not more than 1.06), the product (I) preferably having an ethylene oxide content of less than 10 ppm. R 1>mono- or polyvalent organic residue; each R 2>H or organic residue (preferably Me, Et, Ph, decyl or allyloxymethyl); X : O, S, NH or NR'; R' : optionally substituted cyclic or acylic 1-26C organic group; n is not defined in the process claim.