Abstract: There is disclosed a novel method for producing a polyphenylene ether, in which a phenol compound is reacted with an oxidizing agent in a reaction medium in the presence of a highly active catalyst comprising at least one copper compound, at least one 1,3-diamine compound selected from N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,3-diaminopropanes and at least one halogen compound selected from a bromine compound and a chlorine compound, wherein the reaction medium contains at least one alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol and ethanol. The novel method can be advantageously employed for efficiently producing a polyphenylene ether which has a desirable color and gives a composition improved with respect to Izod impact strength in combination with a rubber-reinforced polystyrene and the like. Major application of such a composition is found in the field of generally known engineering plastics.

Abstract: Manufacture of orthomethylated phenol compounds by the reaction of phenol compounds having a hydrogen atom at the ortho position and methanol is accomplished advantageously by a method which effects the reaction by use of a catalyst comprising (A) iron oxide, (B) indium oxide, and (C) at least one member selected from the group consisting of chromium oxide and silicon oxide. According to this method, the reaction permits the orthomethylated phenol compound to be produced in high yields for a long time because of the catalyst's excellent activity-retaining property. Since the ortho-position selectivity and the utilization ratio of methanol are high and, consequently, the utilization efficiency of raw materials is high, the method of this invention produces the orthomethylated phenol compound with high efficiency from the phenol compounds.

Abstract: An adsorbent comprising a porous copolymer produced by copolymerizing a cross-linkable monomer and a mono-ethylenically unsaturated monomer, said copolymer having pores of an average pore diameter (d) of 500 A to 6,000 A and having such a broad pore diameter distribution that the pore volume having a pore diameter in the range of from 0.5 d to 2 d is not more than 60% of the total pore volume in the copolymer. By the use of such a porous copolymer having a specific composition and pore characteristics, organic compounds (e.g. toxic compounds) adsorbed on the proteins (e.g. plasma proteins) present in intercellular and/or extracellular liquids (e.g. blood) can be effectively adsorption-removed. Especially when the present adsorbent is used for purification of blood, it is advantageously subjected to such a pretreatment that plasma proteins are adsorbed on the adsorbent and then crosslinked with a crosslinking agent.