Mixed formals of polyglycol ethers

摘要

A process for the production of a mixed formal of polyglycol ethers having formulae selected from the group consisting of and R3O(AO)pCH2(OB)qOR4 wherein R1 is a straight or branched chain alkyl having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, and R2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and straight or branched chain alkyl having from 1 to 17 carbon atoms, where the sum of the carbon atoms in R1 plus R2 is from 6 to 18, R3 is a member selected from the group consisting of monoalkylphenyl having from 14 to 26 carbon atoms, dialkylphenyl having from 14 to 26 carbon atoms, trialkylphenyl having from 14 to 26 carbon atoms, a straight or branched chain alkyl having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, a straight or branched chain alkenyl having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, and a radical having the formula wherein R1 and R2 have the above assigned values, and R5 is selected from the group consisting of a straight or branched chain alkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, phenyl and alkylphenyl having from 7 to 9 carbon atoms, R4 is a straight or branched chain alkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, A and B are selected from the group consisting of ethylene and isopropylene, m and n are integers from 0 to 50, p is an integer from 2 to 50, and q is an integer from 0 to 3, where the sum of m plus n is from 2 to 50, consisting essentially of the steps of (1) reacting a polyglycol ether having the formulae selected from the group consisting of and R3O(AO)pH wherein R1, R2, R3, A, m, n and p have the above-assigned meanings, with a diformal having the formula R4-O-(B-O)q-CH2-(O-B)q-O-R4 wherein R4, B and q have the above-assigned meanings, at a temperature of from 60 DEG to 150 DEG C. in the presence of a strong acid, while employing from 2 to 10 mols of said diformal per mol of hydroxyl groups in said polyglycol ether. (2) distilling off the alcohol formed having the formula R4-O-(B-O)q-H (3) neutralizing, (4) distilling of unreacted diformal, and (5) recovering said mixed formal of polyglycol ethers; as well as novel mixed formals of polyglycol ethers produced by the process.