Methods for manufacturing phenoxyethanol
View Patent ↗Methods for manufacturing phenoxyethanol from a reaction of a phenolate with a monohalohydrin. The phenolate is reacted with the monohalohydrin at a reaction temperature that is less than or equal to a boiling point of a reaction mixture to produce products that include the phenoxyethanol.
1. A method for manufacturing phenoxyethanol, the method comprising:
reacting phenolate with a monohalohydrin at a reaction temperature that is less than or equal to a boiling point of a reaction mixture, wherein a catalyst is not present, to produce products that include the phenoxyethanol.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
cooling the reaction mixture;
extracting the products from the cooled reaction mixture by addition of an organic solvent immiscible in water to form an organic phase;
washing the organic phase with an alkaline aqueous solution; and
subsequent to washing the organic phase, fractionally distilling the phenoxyethanol from the washed organic phase.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the organic solvent comprises methylene chloride.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the alkaline aqueous solution comprises a sodium hydroxide solution.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein fractionally distilling the phenoxyethanol from the washed organic phase further comprises:
heating to a distilling temperature of about 95° C. to about 120° C.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein fractionally distilling the phenoxyethanol from the washed organic phase further comprises:
heating while under decreased pressure.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein fractionally distilling the phenoxyethanol from the washed organic phase further comprises:
heating to the distilling temperature while at atmospheric pressure.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction mixture of the phenolate and the monohalohydrin is aqueous.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phenolate is an alkali metal phenolate hydrate.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the phenolate is a sodium phenolate trihydrate.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monohalohydrin is a 2-haloethanol.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the 2-haloethanol comprises a halogen selected from the group consisting of chloro-, bromo-, iodo-, and fluoro-.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction temperature is about 65° C. to about 75° C.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein reacting the phenolate with the monohalohydrin comprises:
adding the monohalohydrin to the phenolate dropwise for a period of time.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phenoxyethanol includes less than or equal to 0.10% w/w of phenol.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the phenoxyethanol includes less than or equal to 0.10% w/w of each of one or more unspecified impurities.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein one of the one or more unspecified impurities is 2-(2-phenoxyethoxy)ethanol.