Basf Aktiengesellschaft

Gerd Schwoebel

Herbert Naarmann

Hermann Gausepohl

Adolf Echte

Juergen Hambrecht

Johann Swoboda

Hermann Fischer

Eduard Heil

Peter Siebel

Hermann Brandt

Hermann Dreher

Albert Nikles

Polyphenylene ethers are prepared from monohydric phenols, which possess alkyl substituents in the two ortho-positions and, if desired, in the meta-position, but not in the para-position, by an oxidative coupling reaction with oxygen at from 15.degree. to 50.degree. C. and under from 1 to 10 bar in the presence of a catalyst complex, of a solvent and, if required, of an activator, by a method in which the conversion of the phenols is carried out in two more reaction zones, in which some or all of the solvent, the catalyst complex and the phenols and, where relevant, the activator is initially taken and is circulated by means of a conveying unit, and about 60-100% of the stoichiometric amount of oxygen required for the oxidative coupling is introduced into the first reaction zone and from 0 to about 40% of the said stoichiometric amount is introduced into the second reaction zone.

Preparation of polyphenylene ethers, and an apparatus for this purpose

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Wattenheim, Germany

Gerd Schwoebel