Study of relations governing the distribution of composition of reaction products of propylene oxide with alcohols

• Published in: Polymer science USSR 1975, Vol.17 (10), p.2674-2679
• Main Authors: Khlebitskii, Ya, Makarov, M.G., Shvets, V.F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0032-3950; 1878-268X
• DOI: 10.1016/0032-3950(75)90069-6

A study was made of the composition of reaction products of propylene oxide with methyl, ethyl, n- and isopropyl, normal and secondary butyl alcohols during catalysis with corresponding alcoholates. The molecular proportion of the initial alcohol and products of addition of 1–10 propylene oxide molecules to a corresponding alcohol was determined by GLC with an average number of oxide moles added of 0·5–5·0 per mole initial alcohol. By computer, ratios of rate constants of sequential stages of addition of oxide to alcohols were determined from experimental results. It was shown that constant ratios derived are related to the acidity of corresponding alcohols by the Brönsted equation. A satisfactory description of all experimental results by the equations derived enables them to be used to calculate the distribution of products of oxypropylation of alcohols of a known acidity.