PURPOSE: To produce the titled substance, by dissolving crude crystals containing the titled substance in p-xylene to recrystallize the titled substance, separating the crystals into purified crystals and mother liquor, separating part of the p-xylene and recirculating the residual mother liquor to a chloromethylation step.
CONSTITUTION: p-Xylene is reacted with formaldehyde and a chlorinating agent in the presence of a catalyst to give crude crystals containing monochloromethylated, i-di(chloromethylated) and poly(chloromethylated) p- xylenes in addition to the titled substance. The resultant crystals are then dissolved in p-xylene and recrystallized to afford the purified crystals of the titled substance. The mother liquor is then separated and concentrated so that the total amount of p-xylene and monochloromethyl-p-xylene may be about equal to the amount of the p-xylene in the initial charging raw material. The p-xylene is partially removed to recirculate the resultant mother liquor as the charging raw material to the next step. As described above, the raw material can be saved by recirculating the mother liquor containing a considerable amount of the monochloromethylated p-xylene.
HASEBE YOSHIAKI
OKADA SHINICHI
ARAI TOMIO
FUJI STANDARD RES INC