•
CHEMICALS
Continuous
AAethvI Glucoside
Production
Methyf Alcohol M a k e Up —
Methyl Glucoside A-Plenty
Dextrose
Corn Product's continuous process changes unique polyol from lab item to an industrial r a w material M
ProcessFor
ETHYL GLUCOSIDE by the carload is
the latest volume "corn" chemical available to industry. A cyclic polyol having four reactive hydroxyl groups, methyl a-D-glucoside has been placed in large pilot plant-scale production by Corn Products Refining's Argo, 111., plant. No longer chiefly a reagent on a laboratory shelf, methyl glucoside can now be delivered to your door in 40,00O-lb. boxcar loads. This recent addition to the family of industrially available polyols is manufactured by Corn Products in a continuous process. As developed at Argo, the process consists of reacting dextrose with methanol in the presence of a cation exchange material. The usual procedure of using strong acids to catalyze the reaction did not lend itself to large scale production. Corrosion and comparatively low yields made the process uneconomical. With the cation exchange material, the corrosion problem is obviated, and yields have been raised significantly over the 5 5 to 68% yields obtained in acid-catalyzed reactions. The continuous process at Argo also produces a glucoside of higher quality, improved color, and free of acid, ash, and inorganic impurities. Another advantage is that the catalyst may be recovered and reused a number of times. • Structure Unique. The cyclic configuration and the four esterifiable hydroxyl groups make methyl glucoside unique.
• Tall oil esters and varnishes • Fatty acid esters • Plasticizers • Nonionic surface active agents • Plasticizing alkyds • Fast and hard drying long-oil alkyds
Dissolver
Reactors,, Fixed-Bed Catalyst
T Evaporator
1 1
Alcohol Recovery
Crystallizer Mother Liquor
-"IT-
It may serve as a Centrifuge modifier and plastiJ cizcr for p.roine o.ncl _>*!. phenolic resins, and Dryer as a starting material for other derivatives. Tall oil varnishes, reconstituted and upMethyl Glucoside graded drying oils, 100-lb. frogs and long oil al^ kyds made w i t h methyl glucoside dry rapidly to hard, handled. In the manufacture of esters glossy films with good flexibility. Long or coating vehicles it can be either oil soybean*and dehydrated castor al- charged into the kettle at the outset of kyds prepared with the glucoside and the reaction, or at later stages during adipic acid are excellent plasticizing the processing cycle. For example, in vehicles for heat reactive, brittle resins alcoholysis of triglycerides, the material in metal decorative coating applications. is usually added a t temperatures of Instead of adipic acid, tetrahydro- 260° to 270° C. wit-hout difficulty. Methyl glucoside sells in carload phthalic anhydride can be used for the same purpose. Pigment wetting and quantities at 2 1 cents a pound, packed grinding properties of long oil methyl in 100-lb. bags. W i t h increased proglucoside - tetrahydrophthalic - linseed duction, a price reduction is expected. • Others A-Coming. Other alkyl alkyds make these resins good printing glucosides are in the development ink vehicles. • Partial Esters Useful. Fatty acid stage. Some of these, notably ethyl, partial esters of methyl glucoside are propyl, and butyl glycosides, have been good nonionic surface active agents. produced in pilot plant quantities. They can b e condensed with ethylene Ethyl glucoside has hygroscopic propoxide to further modify their proper- erties which make it useful as a condiH OH ties, and impart various degrees of tioning agent, humectant, and plastiAvailable i n 50-gallon steel water miscibility to resulting products. cizer. HO OCH3 drums, it contains 8 0 % ethyl glucoside The partial esters, as well as their I ethylene oxide modifications, are ac- solids. Practically a_ny quantity of the c ceptable emulsiflers. They are also glucosides can be made t o meet future —• O' useful as antistatic agents in textile demand, according t o company officials, i applications and as additives in agri- because of the plentiful supply of lowH CH2OH CS 1 cultural sprays and lube and cutting oil cost dextroseformulations. Methyl glucoside should be espeExtensive studies at Mellon Institute Further useful information have shown it to be an excellent raw cially useful in the selective esterificaon Chemicals mentioned is tion of the fatty acid fraction in tall oil. material for the manufacture of: readily avail* ible . . . M a s y t o Handie. A nonhygro1 Us& ftendy coupon OA ps
