| abstract |
Benzyltoluene/dibenzyltoluene oligomers essentially devoid of contaminating amounts of chlorine values, well adapted as dielectric liquids, are prepared by (a) condensing benzyl chloride with toluene or with lower benzyltoluene oligomers in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of ferric chloride, and then (b) directly dechlorinating the crude product of condensation, e.g., by contacting same with sodium methylate. |