Alkoxylation using modified calcium-containing bimetallic or polymetallic catalysts
AssigneeUnion Carbide Chemicals & Plastics Technology Corporation
InventorStephen W. King
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention relates to modified calcium-containing bimetallic or polymetallic 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 modified calcium-containing bimetallic or polymetallic catalysts for alkoxylation using calcium metal or a calcium-containing compound as sources for the catalytically-active calcium. In a further aspect of this invention, processes are provided for preparing alkoxylation products that have beneficial, narrow molecular weight ranges using the modified calcium-containing bimetallic or polymetallic catalysts.
Claims27
A method for providing an alkoxylation catalyst comprising:
- (a) reacting or solubilizing, at least partially, calcium metal or a calcium-containing compound, by mixing 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, heteroatoms 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 radial which does not present said reacting or solubilizing, thereby forming a calcium-containing composition which has titratable alkalinity;
- (b) reacting a divalent or polyvalent metal or a divalent or polyvalent metal-containing compound wherein the divalent or polyvalent metal is selected from the group consisting of beryllium, magnesium, strontium, barium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum, tungsten, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, boron, gallium, silicon, germanium tin, phosphorus, antimony, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, cerium and thorium with an organic compound having at least one active hydrogen to produce a divalent or polyvalent metal-containing composition;
- (c) reacting the calcium-containing composition with the divalent or polyvalent metal-containing composition under effective reaction conditions to produce a catalyst precursor composition;
- and
- (d) reacting the catalyst precursor composition with a divalent or polyvalent oxyacid or a divalent or polyvalent metal salt of an oxyacid or mixtures thereof under effective reaction conditions to produce the alkoxylation catalyst.
An alkoxylation catalyst having the formula:
- [R.sub.1 --X.sub.1 --M.sub.1).sub.f --Y.sub.1 --(M.sub.3 --Y.sub.2).sub.j --(M.sub.2 --X.sub.2 --R.sub.2 ].sub.g
- wherein:
- R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently hydrogen or an organic residue of an organic compound having at least one active hydrogen;
- X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 are independently oxygen, sulfur or nitrogen;
- M.sub.1, M.sub.2 and M.sub.3 are independently a divalent or polyvalent metal provided at least one of M.sub.1, M.sub.2 and M.sub.3 is calcium and at least one of M.sub.1, M.sub.2 and M.sub.3 is a divalent or polyvalent metal selected from the group consisting of beryllium, magnesium, strontium, barium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum, tungsten, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, boron, gallium, silicon, germanium tin, phosphorus, antimony, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, cerium and thorium;
- Y.sub.1 and Y.sub.2 are independently a divalent or polyvalent oxyacid anion of valence 2 to 6, oxygen, sulfur or nitrogen provided at least one of Y.sub.1 and Y.sub.2 is a divalent or polyvalent oxyacid anion of valence 2 to 6;
- j is an integer having a value of from 0 to about 100;
- and
- f and g are integers having a value such that the sum f+g is equal to the valence of Y.sub.1 when j has a value of 0, and f and g are integers having a value such that the sum f+g is equal to the valence of Y.sub.1 plus (M.sub.3 --Y.sub.2).sub.j when j has a value other than 0.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.