Melt transesterification of diphenyl carbonate with bisphenol a in a batch reactor

The kinetics of the melt transesterification of diphenyl carbonate with 4,4‐dihydroxydiphenyl‐2,2‐propane has been studied in a batch reactor with LiOH · H2O as a catalyst in the temperature range of 150–180°C. The third‐order forward and backward rate constants were determined experimentally and a linear dependence of the transesterification rate on the catalyst concentration was observed. The product oligomer concentration distribution has also been measured experimentally and estimated by the molecular species model which describes the progress of the melt transesterification.