Nissan Chemical Industries Limited

Suketoshi Tsukamoto

Motohiko Hidaka

Hisao Ikeda

Isao Hashiba

Takami Ono

Yoshikazu Yoshioka

A 2,3-epoxypropyl derivative or a 2-methyl-2,3-epoxypropyl derivative of a compound having carboxyl groups or amido groups is produced as a purified product having an epoxide equivalent of 1.0 to 1.1 times the theoretical epoxide equivalent of the derivative, an ionic halogen content of 10 ppm or less, transparency when molten and a stability against increase in the epoxide equivalent when stored at 150.degree. C. for 24 hours, by a process comprising steps (A) reacting 1.2 to 60 mol of an epihalohydrin or a 2-methyl-epihalohydrin with 1 mol of active hydrogen atoms of the carboxyl or amido group of the compound in the presence of a particular catalyst, thereby forming a reaction product containing a 2-hydroxy-3-halopropyl derivative or a 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-3-halopropyl derivative, (B) dehydrohalogenating the derivative by adding to the reaction product a sufficient amount of an alkali metal hydroxide thereby forming a final slurry containing the 2,3-epoxypropyl derivative of the 2-methyl-2,3-epoxypropyl derivative and the alkali metal halide, (C) washing the final slurry or a liquid product formed by removing the alkali metal halide from the final slurry thereby forming a refined liquid containing the derivative, and (D) removing by evaporation the epihalohydrin or the 2-methyl-epihalohidrin from the refined liquid, thereby forming the 2,3-epoxypropyl derivative or the 2-methyl-2,3-epoxypropyl derivative as the purified product.

Method for producing purified epoxy compound

This invention relates to methods of preparing and purifying .alpha.-substituted acetic acids, which comprise treating an .alpha.aromatic-substituted acetic acid represented by a specific general formula with a weak alkali while shielding light, or subjecting an .alpha.-aromatic-substituted acetonitrile represented by a specific general formula to acid hydrolysis, followed by treatment with a weak alkali while shielding light; and treating the alkali salt of .alpha.-substituted acetic acid thus formed with a decolorizing agent.

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Onoda, Japan

Suketoshi Tsukamoto