Process for the production of carbonates that melt at a high temperature

Abstract

A method for preparing carbonates includes reacting an alkylene oxide with carbon dioxide in the presence of a catalyst and a non-protic solvent. The method further includes having the boiling point of the solvent greater than about 70 ° C., and removing the solvent from the reaction product. The solvent used in the various forms of the present invention can be glyme, diglyme, tetraglyme, cumene, toluene, tetrahydofuran, cyclohexanone, ethylbenzene, aromatic hydrocarbons, or ethers. The catalyst used can be a tetraalkyl ammonium halide, such as tetraethyl ammonium bromide. The alkylene oxide that can be used in the invention can include Bisphenol A, Bisphenol B, Bisphenol F, alkylene oxides that have alkyl substituent groups, alkylene oxides that have aryl substituent groups, and alkylene oxides that contain both alkyl and aryl substituent groups. An essentially solvent free carbonate can be prepared by flash removal of the solvent.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.