Polyether-containing double metal cyanide catalysts
AssigneeArco Chemical Technology, L.P.
InventorBi Le-Khac
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Abstract
Improved double metal cyanide (DMC) catalysts are disclosed. The catalysts comprise a DMC compound, an organic complexing agent, and from about 5 to about 80 wt. % of a polyether polyol that has tertiary hydroxyl groups. Compared with other DMC catalysts, those of the invention have excellent activity for epoxide polymerization, and they can be used to make polyols having very low unsaturation even at high epoxide polymerization temperatures.
Claims14
A solid double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst useful for epoxide polymerizations, said catalyst comprising:
- (a) a double metal cyanide compound;
- (b) an organic complexing agent;
- and
- (c) from about 5 to about 80 wt. % of a polyether polyol;
- wherein some or all of the hydroxyl groups of the polyether polyol are tertiary hydroxyl groups.
A method which comprises preparing a solid double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst in the presence of an organic complexing agent and a polyether polyol having tertiary hydroxyl groups, wherein the solid DMC catalyst contains from about 5 to about 80 wt. % of the polyether polyol.
A method of preparing a solid double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst useful for epoxide polymerization, said method comprising:
- (a) reacting aqueous solutions of a metal salt (excess) and a metal cyanide salt in the presence of an organic complexing agent using efficient mixing to produce a catalyst slurry;
- (b) combining the catalyst slurry with a polyether polyol that has tertiary hydroxyl groups;
- (c) isolating a polyether-containing solid catalyst from the slurry;
- (d) washing the polyether-containing solid catalyst with an aqueous solution that contains additional organic complexing agent;
- and
- (e) recovering a solid DMC catalyst that contains from about 5 to about 80 wt. % of the polyether polyol,
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.