Oxyalkylations — Oxyethylations and oxypropylations

The term oxyalkylation refers to the addition reaction of one or more alkylene oxide molecules (mainly ethylene oxide or propylene oxide) onto a reactant with labile hydrogen.

These reactions are of considerable industrial importance, as worldwide production capacity for ethylene and propylene oxides exceeds 18 million tonnes per year.

Depending on the molar mass of the finished products, either continuous or discontinuous processes can be used, with one or two oxides being fixed. In the latter case, either block or statistical structures are obtained.

Ethylene oxide leads to hydrophilic, water-soluble products, while propylene oxide leads to hydrophobic, water-insoluble compounds.

This chemistry is therefore extremely versatile, and can be used to optimize specific properties for well-defined applications by adjusting the quantity and distribution of oxides.