EP0700949A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Highly active double metal cyanide catalysts
Assignee: Lyondell Chemical Technology LP
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Filing: 1995-08-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-08-29
Abstract
Abstract Highly active double metal cyanide (DMC) catalysts are disclosed. The catalysts comprise a DMC complex, and organic complexing agent, and from about 5 to about 80 wt.%, based on the amount of catalyst, of a polyether having a number average molecular weight greater than about 500. A method of preparing the catalysts is also disclosed. The catalysts are easy to prepare, have exceptional activity, and are readily removed, if desired, from polymer products.
Inventors
- 👤 Bi Le-Khac
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 11:31
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08G; C08G65/00; C08G65/02; C08G65/04; C08G65/06; C08G65/08; C08G65/10; B; B01; B01J; B01J31/00; B01J31/16; B01J31/22; B01J31/2204; B01J31/2208; B01J31/2213; B01J27/00; B01J27/24; B01J27/26; B01J31/02; B01J31/0201; B01J31/0202; B01J31/06; B01J31/068; B01J31/165; C08G65/26; C08G65/2642; C08G65/2645; C08G65/2663; C08G65/30; B01J2531/00; B01J2531/02; B01J2531/0202; B01J2531/0205; B01J2531/80; B01J2531/84; B01J2531/845; B01J2531/90; B01J2531/96
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
73 words
A solid double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst useful for epoxide polymerization, said catalyst comprising: (a) a double metal cyanide compound; (b) an organic complexing agent; and (c) from about 5 to about 80 wt.%, based on the amount of catalyst, of a polyether having a number average molecular weight greater than about 500; wherein the catalyst has enhanced activity for epoxide polymerization compared with a catalyst prepared in the absence of the polyether.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
19 words
A catalyst as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the double metal cyanide compound is a zinc hexacyanocobaltate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A catalyst as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that the organic complexing agent is tert-butyl alcohol.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A catalyst as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the polyether is a polyether polyol having a number average molecular weight within the range of about 1000 to about 10,000.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A catalyst as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that it contains from about 10 to about 70 wt.% of the polyether.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
78 words
A solid double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst as claimed in claim 1, said catalyst comprising: (a) a zinc hexacyanocobaltate compound; (b) tert-butyl alcohol; and (c) from about 10 to about 70 wt.%, based on the amount of catalyst, of a polyether polyol having a number average molecular weight within the range of about 1000 to about 5000; wherein the catalyst has enhanced activity for epoxide polymerization compared with a catalyst prepared in the absence of the polyether polyol.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
A catalyst as claimed in claim 6 having an X-ray diffraction pattern of (d-spacing, angstroms): 5.75 (br), 4.82 (br), 3.76, and exhibits no detectable signals corresponding to highly crystalline zinc hexacyanocobaltate at about (d-spacing, angstroms): 5.07, 3.59, 2.54, 2.28.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A catalyst as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 having a cobalt content within the range of about 5 to about 10 wt.%.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A catalyst as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the polyether is a poly(oxypropylene) diol having a number average molecular weight within the range of about 2000 to about 4000.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A catalyst as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that it contains from about 15 to about 60 wt.% of the polyether.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
44 words
A method which comprises preparing a solid double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst in the presence of a polyether having a number average molecular weight greater than about 500, wherein the solid DMC catalyst contains from about 5 to about 80 wt.% of the polyether.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in claim 11 characterised in that the polyether is a polyether polyol having a number average molecular weight within the range of about 1000 to about 10,000.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in claim 12 characterised in that the polyether is a poly(oxypropylene) diol having a number average molecular weight within the range of about 2000 to about 4000.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13 characterised in that the DMC catalyst is a zinc hexacyanocobaltate.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
30 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 14 characterised in that the DMC catalyst contains from about 15 to about 60 wt.% of the polyether polyol.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 15 characterised in that the catalyst is prepared in the presence of an organic complexing agent.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 16 characterised in that the organic complexing agent is tert-butyl alcohol.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17 comprising: (a) reacting aqueous solutions of a metal salt (excess) and a metal cyanide salt in the presence of an organic complexing agent using efficient mixing to produce a catalyst slurry; (b) combining the catalyst slurry with the polyether; (c) isolating a polyether-containing solid catalyst from the slurry; (d) washing the polyether-containing solid catalyst with an aqueous solution that contains additional organic complexing agent; and (e) recovering the solid DMC catalyst.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 18 characterised in that the aqueous solution of organic complexing agent in step (d) also includes additional polyether.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as claimed in claim 19 characterised in that, after step (d), the washed polyether-containing solid catalyst is washed again with additional organic complexing agent or with a mixture of polyether and organic complexing agent.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
86 words
A method as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17 comprising: (a) reacting aqueous solutions of a metal salt (excess) and a metal cyanide salt in the presence of an organic complexing agent using efficient mixing to produce a catalyst slurry; (b) efficiently mixing the catalyst slurry with a diluent which comprises an aqueous solution of additional organic complexing agent; (c) combining the catalyst slurry from step (b) with the polyether; (d) isolating a polyether-containing catalyst from the slurry; and (e) recovering the solid DMC catalyst.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in claim 21 characterised in that, after step (d), the polyether-containing solid catalyst is washed with additional organic complexing agent or with a mixture of additional polyether and organic complexing agent.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 21 characterised in that the catalyst slurry is combined with the polyether using low-shear mixing.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
48 words
A process for polymerizing an epoxide, said process comprising reacting an epoxide and a hydroxyl group-containing initiator in the presence of a catalyst as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 or made by a method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 22.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
32 words
A polyether polyol made using a catalyst as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 or made by a method as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 22..
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