	US 11,745,174 B2
	Polyether polymerization process
David K. Steelman, Angleton, TX (US); David A. Babb, Lake Jackson, TX (US); Joost Depicker, Wachtebeke (BE); Jasmijn Kuijper, Hoek (NL); and Mari S. Rosen, Midland, MI (US)
Assigned to Dow Global Technologies LLC, Midland, MI (US)
Appl. No. 16/610,563
Filed by Dow Global Technologies LLC, Midland, MI (US)
PCT Filed May 10, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/032051 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 4, 2019, PCT Pub. No. WO2018/209075, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 15, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/504,145, filed on May 10, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/504,133, filed on May 10, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0198425 A1, Jul. 1, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B01J 37/04 (2006.01); B01J 23/80 (2006.01); B01J 27/26 (2006.01); B01J 35/10 (2006.01); B01J 37/03 (2006.01); B01J 37/06 (2006.01); B01J 37/08 (2006.01); C08G 65/26 (2006.01); C07F 15/06 (2006.01)

CPC B01J 37/04 (2013.01) [B01J 23/80 (2013.01); B01J 27/26 (2013.01); B01J 35/1009 (2013.01); B01J 37/036 (2013.01); B01J 37/06 (2013.01); B01J 37/08 (2013.01); C07F 15/065 (2013.01); C08G 65/269 (2013.01); C08G 65/2663 (2013.01); C08G 65/2693 (2013.01); C08G 2220/00 (2013.01)]

4 Claims

1. A method for producing a polyether, the method forming a reaction mixture comprising a hydroxyl-containing starter, at least one alkylene oxide and a catalyst complex, and polymerizing the alkylene oxide onto the hydroxyl-containing starter to produce the polyether in the presence of no more than 0.01 moles of a carbonate precursor per mole of alkylene oxide, wherein the catalyst complex is a mixture of a zinc hexacyanocobaltate catalyst and a particulate M³metal or semi-metal oxide wherein the M³metal or semi-metal is one or more of aluminum, iron, hafnium, gallium and indium and the M³metal or semi-metal oxide is present in an amount sufficient to provide 0.002 to 10 moles of M³metal or semi-metal per mole of cobalt provided by the zinc hexacyanocobaltate catalyst, and further wherein the hydroxyl concentration during at least a portion of the polymerization is in the range of 4.25 to 20% by weight of the reaction mixture.