A Synthesis of Alkoxylates from Styrenated Phenols and Ethylene Carbonate Over KOH/La2O3 Catalysts

Styrenated phenol alkoxylates (SP-A) are prepared from styrenated phenols (SP) and ethylene oxide (EO) under a homogeneous base catalyst. However, to use EO that is difficult to handle, a high-pressure reaction device capable of reaction process control should be used. Additionally, the homogeneous base catalyst requires a neutralization process to remove the remaining catalyst after the reaction, and it is difficult to separate the catalysts and the product. Therefore, in this study, the separation of product and catalyst by using KOH/La₂O₃ catalyst was facilitated in the production of SP-A. Also, it was possible to produce SP-A under atmospheric pressure reaction conditions using EC. The mean molecular weight of SP-A varied depending on the reaction conditions, and the size of the mean molecular weight could be arbitrarily controlled by changing the reaction conditions.