HIGH WATER CONTENT TOLERANT PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF POLYETHERS

• Main Authors: EDWARD P. BROWN, JOSE F. PAZOS, JACK R. REESE, II
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.08.2011

OF THE DISCLOSUREHIGH WATER CONTENT TOLERANT PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF POLYETHERS The present invention provides a process for the production of a polyether involving establishing oxyalkylation conditions in an oxyalkylation reactor in the presence of from about 5 ppm to about 1,000 ppm, based on the final polyether weight, of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, continuously introducing into the reactor at least one alkylene oxide and a low molecular weight starter having a number average molecular weight of less than about 300 Daltons (Da) containing from about 200 ppm to about 5,000 ppm water and acidified with from about 10 ppm to about 2,000 ppm of at least one of an inorganic protic mineral acid and an organic acid, and recovering a polyether product having a number average molecular weight of from about 200 Da to about 4,000 Da, wherein the ppm (parts per million) of water and acid are based on the weight of the low molecular weight starter. The inventive process may allow for the use of low molecular weight starters containing higher levels of water at lower DMC catalyst levels than current processes. Figure (None)