Preparation of low viscosity polyether polyols

Claim 2

In a process for preparing a polyether polyol which comprises reacting a polyhydric water-soluble initiator with ethylene oxide and an alkylene oxide in the presence of ammonia or an alkanolamine or a primary alkylamine or alkylene diamine, the improvement which comprises: mixing and reacting the water-soluble polyhydric initiator and ammonia or alkanolamine, having two to four carbon atoms, or primary mono alkylamine having two to four carbon atoms, or diprimary amine having three to about six carbon atoms, or alkylene diamine having from two to six carbon atoms, in the presence of added water with ethylene oxide and the alkylene oxide at an elevated temperature not greater than about 110° C. in the absence of an added alkoxylation catalyst.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 where the water-soluble initiator is sucrose.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 where the water-soluble initiator is sorbitol.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 where the alkanolamine is diethanolamine.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 where the alkylene diamine is ethylene diamine.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 where the alkyl diamine is 1,3-propanediamine.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1 where the alkylene oxide is propylene oxide.

Claim 9

The process of claim 1 where the alkylene oxide is butylene oxide.

Claim 10

The process of claim 1 where the alkylene oxide is a halogenated alkylene oxide.

Claim 11

The process of claim 1 where ethylene oxide is mixed and reacted followed by the alkylene oxide in block sequence.

Claim 12

The process of claim 1 where the alkylene oxide is mixed and reacted with the initiator followed by ethylene oxide and a final amount of alkylene oxide in a block sequence.

Claim 13

The process of claim 1 where the ethylene oxide and an alkylene oxide are mixed and reacted with the initiator in a single addition step.

Claim 14

The process of claim 1 where the water-soluble initiator is an aqueous solution containing 80-86% by weight sugar.

Claim 15

The process of claim 1 where water is removed from the polyether polyol after reaction of the ethylene oxide and alkylene oxide with the initiator.

Claim 16

The process of claim 1 where water is removed from the reactor after sufficient ethylene oxide or alkylene oxide has been reacted with the initiator to render the ammonia, alkanolamine, or primary mono-alkyl amine or diprimary amine or alkylene diamine non-volatile, but prior to the reaction of all such oxides.

Claim 17

In a process for the preparation of a polyether polyol from a water-soluble polyhydric initiator by reacting the initiator with ethylene oxide and an alkylene oxide, the improvement which comprises the steps of: charging a reactor with, (1) as the water-soluble initiator, sucrose, sorbitol or a mixture thereof; (2) about 0.3 to about 0.7 moles of water per hydroxyl equivalent of the water-soluble initiator; and (3) about 0.4 to about 0.6 equivalents of ammonia, diethanolamine, ethylene diamine, propane diamine, propylene diamine or hexamethylene diamine per hydroxyl equivalent of water-soluble initiator; mixing and reacting, absent an added alkoxylation catalyst, at a temperature of from about 60° to about 111° C. and a pressure of from about 1.0 to about 6.6 kg/cm 2 , from about 0.4 to about 0.6 equivalents ethylene oxide per hydroxyl equivalent of the initiator and from about 2.0 to about 3.0 equivalents propylene oxide per hydroxyl equivalent of the water-soluble initiator in a block sequence for a time of from about 2 to about 7 hours, to form a polyether polyol with a molecular weight of 400 to 600 and an OH number of 450 to 550.

Claim 18

In a process for the preparation of a polyether polyol from a water-soluble polyhydric initiator by reacting the initiator with ethylene oxide and an alkylene oxide, the improvement which comprises the steps of: charging a reactor with, (1) as the water-soluble initiator, sucrose, sorbitol or a mixture thereof; (2) about 0.3 to about 0.7 moles of water per hydroxyl equivalent of the water-soluble initiator; and (3) about 0.4 to about 0.6 equivalents of ammonia, diethanolamine, ethylene diamine, propane diamine, propylene diamine or hexamethylene diamine per hydroxyl equivalent of water-soluble initiator; mixing and reacting, absent an added alkoxylation catalyst, at a temperature of from about 60° to about 111° C. and a pressure of from about 1.0 to about 6.6 kg/cm 2 , from about 0.4 to about 0.6 equivalents ethylene oxide per hydroxyl equivalent of the initiator and from about 2.0 to about 3.0 equivalents propylene oxide per hydroxyl equivalent of the water-soluble initiator in a block sequence for a time of from about 2 to about 7 hours, to form a polyether polyol with a molecular weight of 400 to 600 and an OH number of 450 to 550.

Claim 19

The process of claim 16 including the steps of: interrupting the alkoxylation step; removing water from the reaction mixture; and continuing the alkoxylation step to form the polyether polyol.

Claim 20

The process of claim 16 where the water-soluble initiator is sucrose and is present in the reactor as an about 50 weight % to about 86 weight % aqueous solution.

Claim 21

The process of claim 1 wherein ammonia is in the reaction mixture with the water-soluble initiator.