Process for high purity tetrabromobisphenol-A

摘要

This invention relates to a process for preparing a flame retardant product predominant in tetrabromobisphenol-A. The process comprises: (a) dissolving bisphenol-A in a methanol solvent containing up to about 5 weight percent water, wherein the ratio of methanol to bisphenol-A ranges from about 25 to about 43 moles of methanol per mole of bisphenol-A based on the total amount of methanol used and the total amount of bisphenol-A to be brominated; (b) adding to the solution in (a) from about 3.9 to about 4.2 moles of bromine per mole of bisphenol-A to be brominated while maintaining a reaction temperature in the range of from about 0 degrees to about 40 degrees C.; (c) after the bromination is substantially complete, adding water to precipitate the tetrabromobisphenol-A thus formed; and (d) purifying the precipitated tetrabromobisphenol-A so as to obtain a product predominant in tetrabromobisphenol-A containing less than about 20 ppm total ionic impurity.