To provide a method for producing a trimethylolalkane, capable of easily producing the trimethylolalkane having a high quality in a high yield without lowering the yield due to the by-production of the formate ester of the trimethylolalkane.
This method for producing trimethylolalkane comprises reacting an n-alkanal with formaldehyde in the presence of a tertiary amine and water. Therein, the reaction mixture is heated at a temperature capable of thermally dissociating a by-produced formic acid-tertiary amine salt to distill out the tertiary amine and water, and the trimethylol alkane formate ester contained in the residue is reacted with water, ammonia, a primary amine or a secondary amine to produce the trimethylolalkane. The trimethylol alkane formate ester is reacted with the water to produce the trimethylolalkane and simultaneously hydrogen and carbon dioxide and/or water and carbon monoxide. The trimethylol alkane formate ester is also reacted with the ammonia, the primary amine or the secondary amine to produce the trimethylolalkane and simultaneously formaldehyde compounds. But the by-products can easily be separated from the trimethylolalkane.
JINNO TAKUHIKO
MORIYAMA AKIO
UJI SHINGO
