Depolymerization method for polyurethanes
AssigneeEvonik Operations GmbH
InventorsJens Hildebrand, Annegret Terheiden, Natalia Hinrichs-Tontrup, Walter Pfefferle
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Abstract
A method of hydrolyzing a polyurethane is disclosed in which the polyurethane is contacted with water in the presence of a strong inorganic base having a pKb value at 25° C. of below 1, and a catalyst that is a quaternary ammonium salt containing an ammonium cation containing 6 to 14 carbon atoms if the ammonium cation does not contain a benzyl residue or containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms if the ammonium cation contains a benzyl residue. An active hydrogen containing polyether and an organic polyamine can be recovered in high yields. The present method finds use in polyurethane recycling.
Claims20
A method of hydrolyzing a polyurethane, the method comprising:
- contacting said polyurethane with water in the presence of
- a strong inorganic base having a pKb value at 25° C. of below 1, and
- a catalyst, wherein the catalyst is a quaternary ammonium salt containing an ammonium cation containing 6 to 14 carbon atoms if the ammonium cation does not comprise a benzyl residue or containing 6 to 12 carbon atoms if the ammonium cation comprises a benzyl residue,
- to yield an active hydrogen containing polyether and an organic polyamine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.