Nippon Soda Co., Ltd.

Nisso Petrochemical Industrie Co., Ltd.

Kiyoshi Kogoma

Takashi Tobita

Norio Sone

Masahiro Shiozaki

Yu Ohashi

Jiro Niizeki

An ether compound is advantageously produced by an ether exchange reaction of a different ether compound and a hydroxy group containing compound in the presence of a heteropoly acid or an acidic salt thereof as the catalyst. The catalyst is novel and is extremely effective to the present process and brings about less by-products compared to other processes or other catalysts.

Process for producing ether compounds

Oxyalkylene group of an alkylene oxide is inserted into a chain-type ether compound having at least one lower alkyl group by reacting the latter with the alkylene oxide in the presence of a catalyst prepared by mixing boron trifluoride and/or stannic chloride with an active-hydrogen compound exemplified by water or a lower aliphatic alcohol. The reaction results reduced formation of by-product dimer of the alkylene oxide even under an increased charging ratio of the alkylene oxide to the chain-type ether.

Process for the production of ethers

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Chiba, Japan

Kiyoshi Kogoma