Removal of hydrogenation catalyst from polymer solutions by catalyzed precipitation

Abstract

A process is provided comprising the steps of contacting a Group VIII metal hydrogenation catalyst residue containing polymer solution with a chelating resin, the chelating resin comprising iminodiacetate ions, and recovering a polymer solution comprising less than 5 ppm by weight, based on the solution, of the hydrogenation catalyst residue metal. In a preferred embodiment, the chelating resin is contacted with the hydrogenation catalyst residue containing polymer solution by mixing particles of the chelating resin with the hydrogenation catalyst residue containing polymer solution under agitation, and the polymer solution containing less than 5 ppm of hydrogenation catalyst metals is recovered from the chelating resin and resulting precipitated hydrogenation catalyst residues by filtration.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.