Epoxy fusion process
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsRoy J. Jackson, Larry S. Corley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to the invention, a relatively low molecular weight epoxy resin is reacted with a hydroxyl group-containing compound in the presence of a bis(trihydrocarbyl phosphine)iminium salt catalyst to produce a high molecular weight fusion reaction product. The process is particularly useful in reacting an epoxy resin having a molecular weight of less than about 500 with bisphenol-A in the presence of a bis(phosphine)iminium halide to produce a fusion reaction product having a molecular weight within the range of about 500 to 7000. The catalyst is relatively water-insensitive, and the reaction can therefore be carried out in the presence of water.
Claims18
A process for preparing an advanced epoxy resin, the process comprising:
- contacting in a reaction mixture a polyepoxide having an average of more than 1 vicinal epoxide group per molecule and a weight per epoxide less than about 500 with a hydroxyl group-containing compound in the presence of a catalytic amount of an iminium catalyst of the formula ##STR3## in which each R is selected independently from substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl and X is a compatible anion, at a temperature in the range of about 100.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C. for a time sufficient to produce an advanced epoxy resin having a weight per epoxide of at least about 500.
A composition comprising:
- (a) a polyepoxide, and
- (b) at least about 0.001 weight percent of an iminium compound of the formula ##STR4## in which each R is selected independently from substituted and unsubstituted hydrocarbyl and X is a compatible anion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.