The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 20, 1983
Filed:
Mar. 31, 1983
Harry M Smith, St. Albans, WV (US);
Raymond D Williams, Eleanor, WV (US);
FMC Corporation, Philadelphia, PA (US);
Abstract
A continuous process for producing alkali metal alkoxides comprising continuously introducing an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide into an upper section of a column reactor; continuously vaporizing an alkanol or an alkoxyalkanol of 4 to 18 carbon atoms into a lower section of the reactor at a rate of at least about 2 to 4 moles of alcohol for each mole of alkali metal hydroxide introduced into the reaction zone; reacting the aliphatic alcohol with the alkali metal hydroxide in the reactor; concurrently removing water from the alkali metal hydroxide solution and the alkoxide formation from an upper section of the reactor as an azeotrope formed by excess alcohol and water; continuously condensing and separating the azeotrope into an alcohol phase and a water phase, the water phase being removed from the process and the alcohol phase being returned to the column reactor; and removing a substantially anhydrous reaction product consisting primarily of alkoxide product in excess alcohol from a bottom section of the reactor while simultaneously maintaining a nonoxidizing atmosphere while conducting the reaction.