Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim
159 words
A method for the preparation of a homogeneous, physically stable colloidal elemental iron dispersion comprising: (a) preparing a solution in an inert solvent of an active polymer, the concentration of the polymer being below its critical entanglement concentration, to provide discrete reactive binding sites to which iron precursor molecules can become bound; (b) incrementally adding, at suitable time intervals, an iron precursor, the molecules of which rapidly become bound to the active sites of the polymer; (c) maintaining a temperature which is sufficiently high to decompose the polymer-bound iron precursor much more rapidly than any iron precursor which may remain unbound in the solution; (d) continuing the addition of increments of iron precursor to yield colloidal iron particles of the desired size within the range of from about 10 Angstrom units to about 200 Angstrom units, the iron particles being bound to the active polymer molecules; (e) steps (b), (c) and (d) being carried out in an inert atmosphere.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
159 words
A method for the preparation of a homogeneous, physically stable colloidal elemental iron dispersion comprising: (a) preparing a solution in an inert solvent of an active polymer, the concentration of the polymer being below its critical entanglement concentration, to provide discrete reactive binding sites to which iron precursor molecules can become bound; (b) incrementally adding, at suitable time intervals, an iron precursor, the molecules of which rapidly become bound to the active sites of the polymer; (c) maintaining a temperature which is sufficiently high to decompose the polymer-bound iron precursor much more rapidly than any iron precursor which may remain unbound in the solution; (d) continuing the addition of increments of iron precursor to yield colloidal iron particles of the desired size within the range of from about 10 Angstrom units to about 200 Angstrom units, the iron particles being bound to the active polymer molecules; (e) steps (b), (c) and (d) being carried out in an inert atmosphere.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the final increment, after decomposition, yields colloidal iron particles having a maximum size of about 150 Angstrom units.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the final increment, after decomposition, yields colloidal iron particles, some of which have a maximum size of about 120 Angstrom units, the resulting dispersion being superparamagnetic.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the iron precursor increments are added in an amount of from about 5 to about 10 moles of iron precursor per mole of reactive binding sites.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the iron precursor increments are added when only a little or no carbon monoxide is being generated.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the iron precursor increments are added from about 2 to about 4 hours apart.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 which is carried out at about atmospheric pressure.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the addition of increments of the iron precursor is continuous, at a rate sufficient to compensate for the consumption of the iron precursor already added.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sufficiently high temperature is reflux temperature.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sufficiently high temperature is within the range of from about 100° C. to about 170° C.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the temperature is within the range of from about 130° C. to about 150° C.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sufficiently high temperature is the minimum temperature that will cause a significant rate of decomposition of the polymer-bound iron precursor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein decomposition of the polymer-bound iron precursor is decomposed by actinic radiation instead of heat.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein additional active polymer is added during the reaction.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein additional active polymer is added after the reaction is complete.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the active polymer is soluble in the inert solvent at about ambient temperature.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the active polymer is a Lewis base.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the active polymer is a homopolymer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the active polymer is a copolymer of an active monomer and an inert monomer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as set forth in claim 19 wherein said copolymer contains less than about 10 mole% of active moieties.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as set forth in claim 19 wherein said copolymer is prepared by polymerization of vinyl type monomers.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the inert monomer is selected from the group consisting of styrene, ethylene, methylmethacrylate and vinylacetate and the active monomer is selected from the group consisting of 2-vinylpyridine, 4-vinylpyridine, N-vinylimidazole, 2-vinylimidazole, 4,5-vinylimidazole, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, N-vinylphthalimide, N-vinylsuccinimide, dimethlaminoethylmethacrylate, and N-alkylacrylamides.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as set forth in claim 19, said copolymer being selected from the group consisting of copoly(styrene/vinylpyridine), copoly(styrene/phenylvinylketoxime), and copoly(styrene/N-vinylpyrrolidone).
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said active polymer has a molecular weight of from about 1000 to about 1 million.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as set forth in claim 24 wherein the active polymer concentration in the inert solution is, respectively, from about 10 percent or more to about 0.2-0.5 percent by weight based upon the weight of the solvent.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said active polymer has a molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 100,000.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as set forth in claim 26 wherein the active polymer concentration in the inert solution is, respectively, from about 5 percent to about 2 percent by weight based upon the weight of the solvent.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inert solvent is a liquid at about ambient temperature.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said iron precursor is an iron carbonyl.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as set forth in claim 29 wherein said iron carbonyl is iron pentacarbonyl.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as set forth in claim 29 wherein said iron carbonyl is diiron nonacarbonyl.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as set forth in claim 29 wherein said iron carbonyl is triiron dodecacarbonyl.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said iron precursor is an iron alkylcarbonyl.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said iron precursor is an iron alkenylcarbonyl.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said iron precursor is an iron nitrosyl.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
71 words
A homogeneous, physically stable colloidal elemental iron dispersion, suitable for use as a catalyst, comprising colloidal iron particles having a particle size within the range of from about 10 Angstrom units to about 200 Angstrom units dispersed in an inert liquid and stabilized by the presence of an active polymer to the reactive sites of which the iron particles are bound, said dispersion being prepared by the method of claim 1.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
20 words
A dispersion as set forth in claim 36 having a maximum colloidal iron particle size of about 150 Angstrom units.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
23 words
A dispersion as set forth in claim 36 having a maximum colloidal iron particle size of about 120 Angstrom units and being superparamagnetic.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
27 words
A dispersion as set forth in claim 36 wherein the weight ratio of iron to polymer is within the range of from about 90:100 to about 90:10.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
85 words
A method for the preparation of a bead-supported catalyst comprising colloidal iron particles having a particle size within the range of from about 10 Angstrom units to about 200 Angstrom units, sid particles being bound to the reactive sites of an active polymer, and said particles and active polymer being supported in the beads, said method comprising supporting a liquid-dispersed colloidal elemental iron catalyst as set forth in claim 36 in beads, said beads being produced by suspension polymerization of at least one polymerizable monomer.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
15 words
A bead-supported catalyst as set forth in claim 40 wherein the beads comprise cross-linked polystyrene.