Dodecylphenol production

In addition, phenols and naphthols are oxyalkylated to give products with varying units of either ethylene oxide or propylene oxide. The compositions are commercially available as nonionic detergents. An interesting property of dodecylphenol condensed with 6 moles of ethylene oxide is that it has a negative temperature coefficient of solubility in water, i.e., becomes less soluble at higher temperatures. 

The most important applications for phenol are phenolic resins and the production of caprolactam and bisphenol A. Smaller amounts of phenol are used in the production of adipic acid, nonylphenol, acetylsalicylic add, dodecylphenol, chlorophenols and xylenols. 

The most important commercial alkylphenols are the methyl derivatives (the cre-sols and xylenols), butylated phenols, predominantly tertiary butylphenols, and phenols with long alkyl chains, for example nonylphenol and dodecylphenol. The latter are commonly used in the production of surfactants. 

Dodecylphenol, in the form of its calcium or magnesium sulfonate, is used as an additive for lubricants. It is produced by the reaction of phenol with propylene tetramer in the molar ratio 3 1 at a temperature of 100 °C on ion-exchange resins. West European production in 1985 was around 20,000t. 

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