Patent Application
20080021154
The present invention will now be described for purposes of illustration and not limitation. Except in the operating examples, or where otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, percentages, OH numbers, functionalities and so forth in the specification are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Equivalent weights and molecular weights given herein in Daltons (Da) are number average equivalent weights and number average molecular weights respectively, unless indicated otherwise.
The present invention provides a polyether carbonate polyol produced by copolymerizing a starter molecule with carbon dioxide, at a pressure ranging from 10 psia to 2,000 psia, and an alkylene oxide, at a temperature ranging from 50° C. to 190° C. and in the presence of from 0.001 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % of a substantially non-crystalline double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, wherein the polyol has an incorporated carbon dioxide content of from 1 wt. % to 40 wt. %, wherein the ratio of cyclic carbonate by-product to total carbonate is less than 0.3 and wherein the weight percentages are based on the weight of the polyol.
The present invention further provides a process for producing a polyether carbonate polyol involving copolymerizing a starter molecule with carbon dioxide, at a pressure ranging from 10 psia to 2,000 psia, and an alkylene oxide, at a temperature ranging from 50° C. to 190° C. and in the presence of from 0.001 wt. % to 0.2 wt. % of a substantially non-crystalline double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, wherein the polyol has an incorporated carbon dioxide content of from 1 wt. % to 40 wt. %, wherein the ratio of cyclic carbonate by-product to total carbonate is less than 0.3 and wherein the weight percentages are based on the weight of the polyol.
The present inventors have discovered that using a substantially non-crystalline double metal cyanide catalyst and controlling carbon dioxide pressure and reaction temperature allows the production of polyether carbonate polyols having incorporation of carbon dioxide with very low levels of cyclic carbonate by-products. The polyether carbonate polyols of the present invention preferably have a carbon dioxide incorporation of from 1 wt. % to 40 wt. %, more preferably from 1 wt. % to 20 wt. %, based on the weight of the polyol. Thus, the inventive polyether carbonate polyols may provide enhanced carbon dioxide blowing agent compatibility and fire resistance in polyurethane foams made with these polyols.
The carbon dioxide pressure in the inventive process ranges from 10 psia to 2,000 psia, more preferably from 40 psia to 150 psia. The reaction temperature in the inventive process may vary from 50° C. to 190° C., more preferably from 60° C. to 140° C.
Preferred double metal cyanide (DMC) catalysts are those which exhibit a substantially non-crystalline character (substantially amorphous) such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,482,908 and 5,783,513, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto. These catalysts show significant improvements over the previously studied catalysts because the amounts of by-product cyclic carbonates are low. Thus, there is a clear advantage to using substantially non-crystalline DMC catalysts for the production of these polycarbonates, because of the lower amounts of propylene carbonate produced than the catalysts and processes in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,500,704 and 4,826,953.
The catalysts disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,482,908 and 5,783,513 differ from other DMC catalysts because these catalysts exhibit a substantially non-crystalline morphology. In addition, these catalysts are based on a combination of ligands, such as t-butyl alcohol and a polydentate ligand (polypropylene oxide polyol). It appears that the polydispersity of the inventive polycarbonates is related to the amount of carbon dioxide in the polymer, with the polydispersity increasing with the amount of carbon dioxide in the polymer.
The DMC catalyst concentration in the inventive process is chosen to ensure a good control of the polyoxyalkylation reaction under the given reaction conditions. The catalyst concentration is preferably in the range from 0.001 wt. % to 0.2 wt. %, more preferably in the range from 0.0024 wt. % to 0.1 wt. %, most preferably in the range from 0.0025 to 0.06 wt. %, based on the weight of the polyol produced. The substantially non-crystalline DMC catalyst may be present in an amount ranging between any combination of these values, inclusive of the recited values.
Suitable starter or initiator compounds include, but are not limited to, C1-C30 monols, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, 1,3 propanediol, 1,4 butanediol, 1,2 butanediol, 1,3 butanediol, 2,3 -butanediol, 1,6 hexanediol, water, glycerin, trimethylolpropane, trimethylolethane, pentaerythritol, α-methylglucoside, sorbitol, mannitol, hydroxymethylglucoside, hydroxypropylglucoside, sucrose, 1,4-cyclohexanediol, cyclohexanedimethanol, hydroquinone, resorcinol and the like. Mixtures of monomeric initiators or their oxyalkylated oligomers may also be utilized. Preferred initiator compounds are the oxyalkylated oligomers of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerin or trimethylolpropane.
The starter in the instant invention may be charged to the reactor prior to the addition of alkylene oxide, or added continuously during the oxyalkylation in the continuous addition of starter process as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,177, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
Alkylene oxides useful in the present invention include, but are not limited to, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, 1,2- and 2,3-butylene oxide, isobutylene oxide, epichlorohydrin, cyclohexene oxide, styrene oxide, and the higher alkylene oxides such as the C5-C30 α-alkylene oxides. Propylene oxide alone or mixtures of propylene oxide with ethylene oxide, most preferably at a ratio of 90:10, are particularly preferred for use in the present invention. Other alkylene oxides mixed with propylene oxide may also prove useful in the inventive processes.
Other polymerizable monomers may be used as well, e.g. polycarboxylic anhydrides (phthalic anhydride, trimellitic anhydride, pyromellitic anhydride, methylendomethylene tetrahydrophthalic anhydride, endomethylene tetrahydrophthalic anhydride, chlorendic anhydride and maleic anhydride) lactones and other monomers as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,404,109; 5,145,883; and 3,538,043.
The inventive polyether carbonate polyols may be reacted with one or more polyisocyanates to produce polyurethane foams, elastomers, coatings, sealants and adhesives, as known to those skilled in the art.
The present invention is further illustrated, but is not to be limited, by the following examples. In the examples below, polyether carbonate polyols were typically made as follows: a glycerine-initiated polyoxypropylated triol of nominal 700 Da molecular weight (350 g) and the amount of substantially non-crystalline DMC catalyst, made according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,908 listed below in the tables were charged to a polyol reactor. The mixture was heated to 130° C. and vacuum stripped with nitrogen for 20 minutes. Immediately before the reaction started, the pressure was reduced to 0.1 psia and 53 g of propylene oxide (PO) was added to activate the catalyst. After the pressure reached one-half of the initial pressure, the reactor temperature was set as given below in the tables (90 to 150° C.) and carbon dioxide was fed into the reactor using a pressure regulator. Propylene oxide (1098 g) was fed over the time given below in the tables. At the end of the PO feed, the reaction mixture was allowed to “cookout” for 20 minutes. The reaction product was drained from the reactor following nitrogen purge and vacuum
As can be appreciated by reference to Table I below, the viscosity values for the 3,000 Da triols are comparable with the all PO triol made in example C1. However, where significant amounts of CO2 are added to the polyol, the viscosity tends to be increases. Because CO2 can reduce the activity of the DMC catalysts, more catalyst is needed to maintain the same activity.
Table II below demonstrates the effects of temperature, catalyst amount and carbon dioxide pressure on carbon dioxide incorporation into polyethers.
The effect of mixing speed was examined and the results summarized in Table III below. Surprisingly, the amount of cyclic carbonate remains low even at the higher levels of linear carbonate incorporation into the polyol.
The effect of DMC catalyst type was examined. Table IV below gives the amounts of cyclic carbonate formed using three different catalysts. Examples 23, 24 and 25 used non-crystalline catalysts made according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,908 and Example C26 (glyme) used a crystalline catalyst. Example 23 employed a DMC catalyst modified with TBA and cholic acid.
The foregoing examples of the present invention are offered for the purpose of illustration and not limitation. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be modified or revised in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is to be measured by the appended claims.
