The present invention relates to a particulate magnesium ethoxide having a coarse particle content, to a process for its preparation and to its use.

Processes for preparing magnesium ethoxide have been known for a considerable time. One industrial preparation route is the direct synthesis from metallic magnesium and ethanol. This is described, for example, by H. D. Lutz in Zeitschrift for anorganische und allgemeine Chemie, Volume 356, 1968, pages 132 ff. A catalyst is typically required to start the reaction and, generally, iodine is used as the catalyst. Magnesium ethoxide prepared in this manner disadvantageously includes traces of the starter catalyst, which can have adverse consequences, for example, when the resultant link is used as a catalyst precursor for Ziegler catalysts or for book preservation. If catalysts are not used, however, the reaction between ethanol and magnesium is not reliably initiated; and uncontrollable initiation behavior inheres great risk in industrial processes.