| abstract |
The present invention is a process for preparing an epoxy resin which comprises reacting (A) a material having an average of more than one aliphatic hydroxyl group per molecule with (B) an epoxy alkyl halide in the presence of (C) an alkali metal hydroxide and (D) at least one phase transfer catalyst, removing the salt formed, allowing the reaction to separate into an aqueous phase and an organic phase, removing the aqueous phase, and recovering the epoxy resin from the organic phase. The invention is characterized by repeating at least once the steps in which the organic phase is reacted with a quantity of component (C) sufficient to cause a separation of the reaction mixture into an aqueous phase and an organic phase and which is at least stoichiometric with the amount of unreacted component (A), removing the saltformed, allowing the reaction mixture to separate into an aqueous phase and an organic phase, and removing the aqueous phase. This process provides for a high level of conversion of the aliphatic hydroxyl-containing material to the corresponding glycidyl ethers. |