Alkoxylation using heterogeneous calcium catalysts and products therefrom
AssigneeUnion Carbide Corporation
InventorsStephen W. King, Robert J. Knopf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention relates to heterogeneous (organic polymer-supported) calcium-containing catalysts and the use thereof in the preparation of alkoxylation products, i.e., condensation reaction products of alkylene oxides and organic compounds having at least one active hydrogen. In another aspect of this invention, processes are provided for preparing heterogeneous (organic polymer-supported) calcium-containing catalysts for alkoxylation using calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide as sources for the catalytically-active calcium. In a further aspect of this invention, alkoxylation products are provided that have beneficial, narrow molecular weight ranges and are essentially neutral in pH and free from catalyst residues.
Claims25
A method for providing an alkoxylation catalyst comprising:
- (a) preparing a catalyst precursor by reacting an organic polymer which has a crosslinked and microporous, macroporous or physically expanded structure with a carbocyclic or heterocyclic compound;
- (b) solubilizing, at least partially, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, or mixtures thereof, by mixing any of them with an activator having the formula
- Z.sub.a --X--Q--Y--Z'.sub.b
- wherein X and Y are the same or different electronegative, hetero-atoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus;
- a and b are the same or different integers satisfying the valency requirements of X and Y;
- Q is an organic radical which is electropositive or essentially neutral relative as to X and/or Y;
- Z and Z' are the same or different and are either hydrogen or an organic radical which does not prevent said solubilizing, thereby forming a calcium-containing, composition which has titratable alkalinity;
- and
- (c) reacting the catalyst precursor with the calcium-containing composition under effective reaction conditions to chemically bond the calcium atom to the polymer through a carbocyclic or heterocyclic linkage.
An alkoxylation catalyst having the formula:
- R.sub.1 --R.sub.2 --X.sub.1 --Ca--X.sub.2 --R.sub.3
- wherein:
- R.sub.1 is an organic polymeric residue which has a crosslinked and microporous, macroporous or physically expanded structure;
- R.sub.2 is a carbocyclic or heterocyclic residue;
- X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 are independently oxygen or sulfur;
- and
- R.sub.3 is hydrogen or an organic residue of an organic compound having at least one active hydrogen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.