Polyether-epoxide polymer compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11066550-B2
Application number	US-201916571970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2019
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

Polyether-epoxide polymer compositions are disclosed. The compositions comprise a reaction product of a polyepoxide compound and a polyol composition comprising a polyether polyol. The ratio of epoxy equivalents to hydroxyl equivalents is within the range of 0.5:1 to 3:1. The polyether-epoxide composition has a T g within the range of −40° C. to 60° C. The polyether polyol has a hydroxyl value within the range of 150 to 800 mg KOH/g and an average hydroxyl functionality within the range of 3.5 to 8.0. In some aspects, the polyol composition further comprises a polyester polyol. Low- and elevated-temperature processes catalyzed by bases or Lewis acids for making the polyether-epoxide compositions are also disclosed. In a simple yet innovative approach, a new class of polymers useful for coatings, elastomers, adhesives, sealants, and other valuable products is assembled from readily available starting materials without reliance on polyamines or polyisocyanates.

First claim

We claim:

1. A polyether-epoxide polymer composition which comprises a reaction product of:
(a) a polyepoxide compound having an equivalent weight within the range of 125 to 250 g/eq.; and
(b) a polyol composition comprising a polyether polyol, wherein the polyether polyol has a hydroxyl value within the range of 150 to 800 mg KOH/g and an average hydroxyl functionality within the range of 3.5 to 8.0; and
wherein the ratio of epoxy equivalents of the polyepoxide compound to hydroxyl equivalents of the polyol composition is within the range of 0.5:1 to 3:1, and the polyether-epoxide polymer composition has a glass-transition temperature as measured by differential scanning calorimetry within the range of −40° C. to 60° C.

2. The polyether-epoxide polymer composition of claim 1 wherein the polyol composition further comprises a polyester polyol.

3. The polyether-epoxide polymer composition of claim 1 wherein the polyepoxide compound is an aromatic polyepoxide.

4. The polyether-epoxide polymer composition of claim 3 wherein the aromatic polyepoxide is a reaction product of a bisphenol and epichlorohydrin having an equivalent weight within the range of 170 to 200 g/eq.

5. The polyether-epoxide polymer composition of claim 1 wherein the polyol composition comprises a polyether polyol produced at least in part from a sucrose initiator.

6. The polyether-epoxide polymer composition of claim 1 wherein the polyether polyol has a hydroxyl value within the range of 150 to 550 mg KOH/g and an average hydroxyl functionality within the range of 4.0 to 8.0.

7. The polyether-epoxide polymer composition of claim 1 having a glass-transition temperature within the range of −30° C. to 35° C.

8. The polyether-epoxide polymer composition of claim 1 wherein the ratio of epoxy equivalents of the polyepoxide compound to hydroxyl equivalents of the polyol composition is within the range of 0.8:1 to 2:1.

9. A coating comprising the polyether-epoxide polymer composition of claim 1 .

10. An elastomer or a microcellular elastomer comprising the polyether-epoxide polymer composition of claim 1 .

11. The elastomer or microcellular elastomer of claim 10 wherein the polyether polyol comprises a sucrose-initiated polyether polyol and the elastomer has a Shore A hardness of at least 90, a peak tensile stress of at least 1000 psi, and a modulus of at least 25,000 psi.

12. An adhesive or sealant comprising the polyether-epoxide polymer composition of claim 1 .

13. A process which comprises reacting at a temperature within the range of 0° C. to 40° C. in the presence of a catalyst a mixture comprising a polyepoxide compound having an equivalent weight within the range of 125 to 250 g/eq. and a polyol composition comprising a polyether polyol, wherein the polyether polyol has a hydroxyl value within the range of 150 to 800 mg KOH/g and an average hydroxyl functionality within the range of 3.5 to 8.0, wherein the ratio of epoxy equivalents of the polyepoxide compound to hydroxyl equivalents of the polyol composition is within the range of 0.5:1 to 3:1 to produce a polyether-epoxide polymer composition having a glass-transition temperature as measured by differential scanning calorimetry within the range of −40° C. to 60° C.

14. The process of claim 13 wherein the reaction is performed at room temperature.

15. The process of claim 13 wherein the catalyst comprises a Lewis acid compound.

16. The process of claim 15 wherein the catalyst comprises a complex of boron trifluoride with an amine, an ether, an alcohol, a polyol, or a combination thereof.

17. The process of claim 13 wherein the catalyst is a base, and the polyether-epoxide polymer composition is post-cured by heating at a temperature within the range of 50° C. to 150° C.

18. A process which comprises heating, at a temperature within the range of 40° C. to 100° C., optionally in the presence of a catalyst, a mixture comprising a polyepoxide compound having an equivalent weight within the range of 125 to 250 g/eq. and a polyol composition comprising a polyether polyol, wherein the polyether polyol has a hydroxyl value within the range of 150 to 800 mg KOH/g and an average hydroxyl functionality within the range of 3.5 to 8.0, wherein the ratio of epoxy equivalents of the polyepoxide compound to hydroxyl equivalents of the polyol composition is within the range of 0.5:1 to 3:1 to produce a polyether-epoxide polymer composition having a glass-transition temperature as measured by differential scanning calorimetry within the range of −40° C. to 60° C.

19. The process of claim 18 wherein the mixture comprising the polyepoxide compound and the polyol composition is heated at a temperature within the range of 60° C. to 90° C.

20. The process of claim 18 wherein the heating is performed in the presence of a catalyst comprising a Lewis acid compound.

21. The process of claim 20 wherein the catalyst comprises a complex of boron trifluoride with an amine, an ether, an alcohol, a polyol, or a combination thereof.

22. The process of claim 18 wherein the heating is performed in the presence of a base catalyst, and the polyether-epoxide polymer composition is post-cured by heating at a temperature within the range of 50° C. to 150° C.

Assignees

• Stepan Co

Inventors

• Kaplan Warren A
• Westfall Jennifer S

Classifications

• C08G59/62 Primary

  Alcohols or phenols · CPC title

• C09D163/00

  Coating compositions based on epoxy resins; Coating compositions based on derivatives of epoxy resins · CPC title

• C08G65/4087

  characterised by the catalyst used · CPC title

• C08G65/2642

  characterised by the catalyst used · CPC title

• C08L63/00 Primary

  Compositions of epoxy resins; Compositions of derivatives of epoxy resins · CPC title