CH,

Have γάΰ considered

TRIOXANE as a source of

Anhydrous Formaldehyde :

T J T E R E ' S a new chemical which may -•• J- solve some problems in organic synthesis, particularly those where yield and quality of product are of great importance. I t is a formaldehyde

TRIOXANE Cyclic trtmeric polymer of Formaldehyde

P R O P E R T I E S Colorless, crystalline compound Molecular Weight 90.05 Odor Mild, Pleasant Melting Point 61°C Boiling Point 115°C Vapor Pressure

25°C 13 mm 86°C 283 "

114.5°C 759 " 129°C 1212 **

Flash Point (Open Cup) 44°C Density (molten) <§> 65°C . . . . . -1.170 Solubility

Water Readily Soluble Alcohols " " Ketones " " Ethers " Esters Chlorinated

Hydrocarbons... " Aromatic

Hydrocarbons . . . " " Naphthalene " " Phenol Vegetable Oils " " Petroleum Ether.. . Slightly Soluble

polymer—a special form of for-malde-hyde which may be used to ca r ry OUT many reactions heretofore cons idered impracticable or impossible w i t h for­maldehyde or its usual polymers.

With Trioxane, unusual and . profit­able reactions are possible because :

1. It is readily soluble in most &rgame-agents with the exception of paraffin hydrocarbons.

2 . Of itself it's an excellent so I v en τ for many classes of materials, even αϊ low temperatures.

3 . / / permits ready preparation c*f homogeneous non-aqueous reaction mixtures.

4 . It's highly compatible in both net*- • tral and alkaline, non-aqueous solutions. Under these conditions^ Trioxane acts like a stable^ cyclic ether. ' y

5 . Stable systems containing Tri­oxane can be depoly/nerized to yield monomeric formaldehyde by thie action

uf acid catalysts or by pyrolysis. ô . The depolymerization or conver­

sion of Trioxane to formaldehyde ca?i

be carried out at a controlled rate.

Tr ioxane thus can be used as a source for formaldehyde in react ion with phenols , substituted phenols, hydro ­carbons , alcohols a n d amine hydro ­chlorides, in general, it is suitable f o r all types of organic reactions i n which acidic catalysts are n o t incompat ible with the reagents. F o r example , sol ­vents are not required to carry o u t Nlannich-type synthesis for t h e T r i ­o x a n e acts as a solvent unti l it h a s been converted to formaldehyde a n d t aken par t in a desired react ion. T h e reaction mixture is thus converted quanti t ively to the reaction p roduc t .

T h e propert ies of Tr ioxane suggest t ha t it may have a wide variety of o the r industrial possibilities, e.g., a plasticizer for other mater ia ls where i ts volatility is no t object ionable.

FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE and copies of Bulletin F-300-1146, which gives more information about Triox­ane, write or call our nearest District Office. E. J. du Pont de Nemours & Co. (Inc.), Electrochemicals Department, Wilmington 98, Delaware.

DISTRICT OFFICES: Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincin­nati, Cleveland, Detroit, El Monte, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco.

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