Zinc catalyst/additive system for the polymerization of epoxide monomers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9879115-B2
Application number	US-201415035422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2014
Priority date	Nov 22, 2013
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

The present invention concerns a catalyst formulation comprising: (a) a Zn catalyst comprising a Zn compound having alcoholate ligand(s) derived from one or more polyols, and (b) a catalyst additive comprising a metal compound (i) having alcoholate ligand(s) derived from one or monohydric alcohol wherein the metal is selected from: (I) first row transition metals excluding Zn, preferably Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Co, more preferably Ti, (II) second row transition metals, preferably Y and Zr, more preferably Zr, and (III) combinations of at least two metals selected from (I) and (II). The present invention also relates to a process for polymerizing an epoxide monomer, preferably ethylene oxide, comprising carrying out the process in the presence of the catalyst formulation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for polymerizing an epoxide monomer comprising carrying out the process in the presence of a catalyst formulation comprising:
(a) a Zn catalyst comprising a Zn compound having alcoholate ligand(s) derived from one or more polyols, and
(b) a catalyst additive comprising a metal compound (i) having alcoholate ligand(s) derived from a monohydric alcohol wherein the metal is selected from:
(I) Ti,
(II) Zr, and
(III) a combination of Ti and Zr,

wherein water and oxygen are excluded from the catalyst formulation and a poly(olefin oxide) having a weight average molecular weight of 30,000 to 2,000,000 is prepared.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein a poly(olefin oxide) having a weight average molecular weight of 50,000 to 2,000,000 is prepared.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the metal compound (i) is present in an amount providing a molar ratio of metal of the metal compound (i) to Zn of the Zn catalyst (a) within the range of from 0.01:1 to 20:1.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein a poly(ethylene oxide) is prepared.

5. The process of claim 2 wherein a poly(ethylene oxide) is prepared.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein a poly(ethylene oxide) is prepared which has a molecular weight of 100,000 to 2,000,000 based on viscosity determination.

Assignees

• Dow Global Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Davis Anna V
• Nickias Peter N

Classifications

• C08G65/12 Primary

  containing organo-metallic compounds or metal hydrides · CPC title

• C08G65/10

  characterised by the catalysts used · CPC title

• C08G65/269

  Mixed catalyst systems, i.e. containing more than one reactive component or catalysts formed in-situ · CPC title

• C08G65/266

  Metallic elements not covered by group C08G65/2648 - C08G65/2645, or compounds thereof · CPC title

• B01J2531/11

  Lithium · CPC title