Process for the preparation of polyglycerols

US5041688A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Deutsche Solvay-Werke GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Gerald Jakobson · Rheinberg, DE
• Werner Siemanowski · Rheinberg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 19, 1989
• Grant date: Aug 20, 1991
• Expiry date: Dec 19, 2009

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C41/42
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of polyglycerols (with more than 50% by weight of diglycerol) which are low in cyclic components, by reacting glycerol with chlorohydrins. In this reaction, glycerol is reacted with epichlorohydrin (instead of chlorohydrin) at temperatures from 20.degree. to 120.degree. C. and at certain mole ratios of glycerol to epichlorohydrin and in the presence of an acidic catalyst and the reaction mixture obtained, which has not been separated into its components, is reacted at a temperature from 50.degree. C. to 120.degree. C. according to the content of organically bound chlorine in the reaction mixture, with an alkaline-reacting, preferably aqueous solution. After the addition of water, the reaction mixture is desalinated via one or more cation and subsequent anion exchangers, dehydrated by distillation and the glycerol-polyglycerol mixture obtained is separated by fractional distillation into glycerol, diglycerol and higher polyglycerols.