Production of ethoxymethyl ethers, e.g. of cycloaliphatic alcohols, involves reacting formaldehyde diethyl acetal with the alcohol in presence of acid catalyst and an additive which forms a low-boiling azeotrope with ethanol

摘要

Ethoxymethyl ethers of 3-18C alcohols (III) are obtained by reacting formaldehyde diethyl acetal (II) with the alcohol (III) in presence of an acid catalyst and an additive which forms an ethanol azeotrope showing a lower boiling point than (II) at the process pressure. A method for the production of ethoxymethyl ethers (I) involves (a) preparation of a mixture containing formaldehyde diethyl acetal (II), an optionally substituted aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic 3-18C alcohol (III), an acid catalyst for the acetal/alcohol reaction and an additive (IV) which forms an azeotrope with ethanol showing a lower boiling point than (II) under a given process pressure, (b) setting up the conditions for the reaction of (II) with (III) to form (I) and ethanol and (c) removal of a mixture comprising at least 90 wt% additive (IV) and ethanol by distillation at the process pressure.