Claims
- 1. A process for eliminating materials from epoxy resins comprising the steps of:
a) reacting an epoxy resin comprising materials containing hydrolyzable halide with a base wherein said base is present in a quantity that exceeds a molar equivalent based on the materials containing hydrolyzable halide to form a mixture; b) heating said mixture while agitating; c) neutralizing said heated mixture with carbon dioxide to form a crude product; and d) distilling said crude product using molecular distillation to yield an epoxy distillate product.
- 2. The process according to claim 1, wherein said hydrolyzable halide is selected from the group consisting of chloride, iodide, and bromide.
- 3. The process according to claim 1, wherein said epoxy resin further comprises one or more high molecular weight material(s).
- 4. The process according to claim 3, wherein said high molecular weight material is selected from the group consisting of oligomers, polymerized epoxies, phenolic salts, reaction by-products, and mixtures thereof.
- 5. The process according to claim 1, wherein said epoxy resin is selected from the group consisting of bisphenol A-epichlorohydrin epoxy resins, bisphenol F-epichlorohydrin epoxy resins, aliphatic mono glycidyl ethers, aliphatic diglycidyl ethers, aliphatic multifunctional glycidyl ethers, and aliphatic glycidyl esters.
- 6. The process according to claim 1, wherein said epoxy resin has a hydrolyzable halide content ranging from 150 ppm to 10,000 ppm.
- 7. The process according to claim 1, wherein said base is selected from the group consisting of hydroxides, hydrides, alkoxides, carbonates, and quaternary ammonium salts.
- 8. The process according to claim 1, wherein in step (b) said mixture is heated to a temperature that allows said reaction to occur at a reasonable rate, but not that results in polymerization of said epoxy resin.
- 9. The process according to claim 1, wherein said molecular distillation uses a rolled film evaporator or a wipe film evaporator.
- 10. The process according to claim 1, wherein said product has a hydrolyzable halide content ranging from about 0.1 to about 100 ppm and an epoxide equivalent weight within 2 percent of the theoretical epoxide equivalent weight.
- 11. The process according to claim 1, wherein said product has an epoxide equivalent weight within 2 percent of the theoretical epoxide equivalent weight.
- 12. The process according to claim 1, wherein step (b) occurs prior to and during step (a).
- 13. The process according to claim 1, wherein step (b) occurs at the same time as step (a).
- 14. An epoxy distillate product prepared using a process comprising the following steps: a) reacting an epoxy resin comprising a material containing hydrolyzable halide with a base wherein said base is present in a quantity that exceeds a molar equivalent based on the material containing hydrolyzable halide to form a mixture;
b) heating said mixture while agitating; c) neutralizing said heated mixture with carbon dioxide to form a crude product; and d) distilling said crude product using molecular distillation to yield said epoxy distillate product.
- 15. The product according to claim 14, wherein step (b) occurs prior to and during step (a).
- 16. The product according to claim 14, wherein step (b) occurs at the same time as step (a).
- 17. An epoxy derived in part from epihalohydrin wherein:
a) said epoxy has a hydrolyzable halide content up to 10 ppm; and b) said epoxy has an epoxide equivalent weight within 2 percent of the theoretical epoxide equivalent weight.
- 18. An epoxy derived in part from epihalohydrin wherein said epoxy has a hydrolyzable halide content ranging from 10 to 100 ppm and an epoxide equivalent weight within 2 percent of the theoretical epoxide equivalent weight.
- 19. A process for eliminating hydrolyzable halides and high molecular weight materials from epihalohydrin-derived epoxy resins comprising the steps of:
a) distilling an epoxy resin comprising materials containing hydrolyzable halide using molecular distillation to yield an epoxy distillate; and b) reacting said epoxy distillate with a base wherein said base is present in a quantity that exceeds the molar equivalent based on the materials containing hydrolyzable halide to yield an epoxy product.
- 20. The process according to claim 20, wherein said base is selected from the group consisting of sodium hydride, potassium hydride, and lithium hydride.
- 21. The process according to claim 20, wherein said epoxy product has a hydrolyzable halide content ranging from 0.1 ppm to 100 ppm.
- 22. The process according to claim 1, wherein said process is batch or continuous.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a Continuation-In-Part of patent application Ser. No. 09/454,558, filed Dec. 7, 1999.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09454558 |
Dec 1999 |
US |
Child |
09974201 |
Oct 2001 |
US |