Lewis acid polymerization catalyst

US11993675B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• DOW GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC · US
• Northwestern University · US

Inventors

• Mihir Bhagat · Evanston, US
• Charmaine Bennett · Evanston, US
• Youlong Zhu · West Lafayette, US
• SonBinh T. Nguyen · Evanston, US
• Linda J. Broadbelt · Glenview, US
• Justin M. Notestein · Evanston, US
• Matthew E. Belowich · Midland, US
• Arjun Raghuraman · Pearland, US
• William H. Heath · Lake Jackson, US
• Sukrit Mukhopadhyay · Midland, US
• Heather A. Spinney · Midland, US
• David R. Wilson · Midland, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 14, 2020
• Grant date: May 28, 2024
• Expiry date: Jun 28, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C08G65/266
• WIPO field: Macromolecular chemistry, polymers
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method of producing a polyether alcohol that includes feeding an initiator into a reactor, feeding one or more monomers into the reactor, feeding a polymerization catalyst into the reactor, the polymerization catalyst being a Lewis acid catalyst having a general formula M(R1)1(R2)1(R3)1(R4)0 or 1, separate from feeding the initiator into the reactor, feeding a hydrogen bond acceptor additive into the reactor, the hydrogen bond acceptor additive being a C2 to C20 organic molecule having at least two hydroxyl groups, of which two hydroxyl groups are situated in 1,2-, 1,3-, or 1,4-positions on the organic molecule, and allowing the initiator to react with the one or more monomers in the presence of the polymerization catalyst and the hydrogen bond acceptor additive to form a polyether alcohol having a number average molecular weight greater than a number average molecular weight of the initiator.