VERFAHREN ZUR HERSTELLUNG VON CARBOXYMETHYLIERTEN ALKOHOLEN, ETHERALKOHOLEN, THIOALKOHOLEN ODER ALKYLPHENOLEN

A process for the production of carboxymethylates comprises reacting alcohols, ether alcohols, or alkyl phenols with an aqueous solution of at most a stoichiometric amount of free chloroacetic acid and twice the stoichiometric amount of an aqueous base. The chloroacetic acid and base are added separately, but simultaneously under agitation (at elevated temperature and under reduced pressure) to the alcohol or alkyl phenol. The water content in the reaction mixture, during the entire reaction, is maintained at 0.3-1.5% by weight. Increased selectivity results and it now becomes possible to use aqueous chloroacetic acid in this process.