	US 11,667,617 B2
	Catalyst recycle methods
Sadesh H. Sookraj, Rochester, NY (US)
Assigned to Novomer, Inc., Rochester, NY (US)
Filed by Novomer, Inc., Rochester, NY (US)
Filed on Jul. 2, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/919,763.
Application 16/919,763 is a division of application No. 15/308,989, granted, now 10,858,329, previously published as PCT/US2015/028123, filed on Apr. 29, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/988,495, filed on May 5, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2020/0331877 A1, Oct. 22, 2020
Int. Cl. B01J 31/20 (2006.01); C07D 305/12 (2006.01); C07D 307/60 (2006.01); B01J 31/22 (2006.01); B01J 31/40 (2006.01); B01J 38/74 (2006.01)

CPC C07D 305/12 (2013.01) [B01J 31/20 (2013.01); B01J 31/2217 (2013.01); B01J 31/403 (2013.01); B01J 38/74 (2013.01); C07D 307/60 (2013.01); Y02P 20/584 (2015.11)]

20 Claims

1. A method for the continuous reaction of an epoxide and carbon monoxide comprising:

a) feeding a continuous carbonylation reactor during a first interval of time with a catalyst feed stream comprising a carbonylation catalyst, where within the reactor, the epoxide and the carbon monoxide react in the presence of the carbonylation catalyst to provide a reaction product stream comprising an epoxide carbonylation product and carbonylation catalyst

b) treating the reaction product stream;

c) separating at least a portion of the carbonylation catalyst from the reaction product stream, wherein the carbonylation catalyst comprises:

a cationic Lewis acid and

an anionic metal carbonyl;

(d) accumulating the cationic Lewis acid separated in step (c) throughout the first interval of time to obtain a cationic Lewis acid batch, and

(e) feeding a continuous carbonylation reactor during a second interval of time with a catalyst feed stream wherein at least a portion of the catalyst in the catalyst feed stream is derived from the cationic Lewis acid batch accumulated in step (d).