NEW BISPHENOL COMPOUND AND ITS PRODUCTION

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a new bisphenol compound useful as a raw material for plastics, capable of providing plastics excellent in resistance to hydrolysis, low water absorption property, electrical insulating properties, low dielectric, impact resistance and resistance to deflection and useful as a raw material for plastics. SOLUTION: This compound is represented by formula I (R is H or methyl; R is a 1-3C alkyl), e.g. 1,4-bis[(3,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy)phenylmethyl]benzene. The compound of formula I is obtained by reacting (B) a compound of formula II with (C) a compound of formula III (R is a 1-4C alkyl), adding (D) an alkali compound to a reaction liquid containing the produced compound of formula I, neutralizing the component A distilling the reaction liquid to remove the unreacted component C, adding (E) an aromatic hydrocarbon, an aliphatic ketone or mixed solvent thereof to the resultant condensate, heating the condensate to dissolve the condensate in the solvent and cooling the solution and crystallizing a bisphenol compound.