Process for Preparing Double Metal Cyanide Catalysts and Their Use in Polymerization Reactions

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This invention discloses a process for preparing double metal cyanide (DMC) catalysts with amphiphilic agents, resulting in finely tuned nanoscopic catalysts that exhibit immediate and high performance in polymerization reactions, such as the production of polyether polyols. Unlike conventional DMC catalysts, the invented catalysts do not exhibit an induction period (activation lag time), simplifying polymer production and improving safety. The process involves forming an adduct of a metal salt and a cyanometallate complex in the presence of an amphiphilic agent, followed by thermal treatment.

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• Production of polyether polyols used in polyurethanes, superplasticizers, and detergents.
• Polymerization of alkylene oxides (e.g., propylene oxide, ethylene oxide) for polyol synthesis.
• Copolymerization with CO2 to create polyether carbonate polyols, which have applications in biodegradable plastics and elastomers.
• Production of polymers with controlled molecular weights for specialized materials and performance plastics.
• Polymerizations requiring catalysts that operate reliably without an unpredictable induction period, such as continuous or safety-critical manufacturing processes.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Eliminates the induction period (activation delay) typical of conventional DMC catalysts, enabling immediate polymerization and reducing unpredictable process starts.
• Simplifies production and improves process safety, minimizing risks related to runaway reactions or temperature spikes.
• Enables the creation of highly pure, colorless, and low-polydispersity polymers, which are valuable for producing high-performance materials.
• Allows precise molecular weight control and tailored polymer properties by adjusting monomer-to-starter ratios.
• Facilitates large-scale production using simple starting materials and few process steps, making it cost-effective and scalable.
• Improves catalyst stability and handling, offering resistance to moisture and oxygen and allowing for storage without activity loss.
• Reduces residue catalysts in the final polymer, which is important for product clarity and performance.

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Patent Abstract

The present invention is directed to a process for preparing a double metal cyanide catalyst of Formula I (M a [M'(CN) c Z w ] b ·zA), wherein M is a main group or transition metal cation, M' is a main group or transition metal cation, which can be the same or different from M, Z is an anion or ligand other than cyanide, A is an amphiphilic agent selected from heteroatom-containing organic compounds having at least one polar head group and an aliphatic, aromatic or partially aromatic moiety having a number of 6 to 42 carbon atoms, w is an integer greater than or equal to 0, but lower than c; a, b and c are integers greater than or equal to 1 so that catalyst (I) is electrically neutral, and z is a number from 0 to 12, which process comprises (a) reacting a metal salt of Formula II (M e X f ), wherein X is an anion and e and f are integers greater than or equal to 1 so that metal salt (II) is electrically neutral, with a cyanometallate complex of Formula III (D g [M'(CN) c ] b ), wherein D is a cation and g is an integer greater than or equal to 1 so that complex (III) is electrically neutral, and M', Z, c, w and b are defined as described above, in the presence of the amphiphilic agent A and optionally a solvent L to obtain a double metal cyanide adduct of Formula IV (M a [M'(CN) c ] b ·xA·yL), wherein x is a number greater than or equal to 1 and y is a number greater than or equal to 0; and (b) thermally treating the adduct (IV) to obtain the double metal cyanide catalyst of Formula (I).