Process for producing polyhydric alcohol

摘要

A process for producing a polyhydric alcohol with high selectivity by subjecting formaldehyde and a specific aliphatic aldehyde to an aldol condensation reaction in the presence of a base catalyst, and then subjecting the resultant reaction product to a crossed Cannizzaro reaction, while reacting a solution containing a 2-substituted-2-alkanal, formed as a byproduct during the aldol condensation reaction, with water or formaldehyde in the presence of the base catalyst, and thereafter reacting the resultant mixture with the aliphatic aldehyde.