Preparation of N-glycidyl compounds

Abstract

Aromatic N-glycidylamines are prepared by treatment of an amine having at least one, and preferably two or more aromatic amino hydrogen atoms, with epichlorohydrin in the presence, as catalyst, of a di- or higher-valent metal salt of nitric or perchloric acid, or of a carboxylic or sulphonic acid substituted by fluorine, chlorine or bromine on the carbon atom alpha to the carboxylic or sulphonic acid group, and dehydrochlorinating the product. The presence of the metal salt gives a product having a higher glycidyl content and a lower viscosity than does the same reaction in the absence of such a salt. Suitable aromatic amines include aniline, phenylene diamines, phenylene diamines substituted on the aromatic ring and bis(4-aminophenyl)methane. The metal salt may be of, for example, magnesium, calcium, zinc, manganese, nickel, iron, lanthanum, vanadium, ytterbium or uranium.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.