Battelle Memorial Institute

The Goodyear & Tire Rubber Company

Biopak Technology, Ltd.

Dart Industries Inc.

Battelle Development Corporation

Chronopol, Inc.

George E Cremeans

Richard A Markle

Richard G Sinclair

Edward S Lipinsky

Phyllis L Brusky

Alex Cheung

Melville E Hillman

Dan W Verser

Joel D Elhard

Timothy J Eggeman

William Andrew Evanko

Kevin H Schilling

Donald M Bigg

Sylvester Sowell

Manfred Meiser

Anthony E Allen

Michael Erchak

Elmer J Bradbury

David L Berry

Wesley M Germon, Jr

Disclosed is a novel integrated process for production of cyclic esters which includes recovery of starting materials, such as lactic acid from a dilute aqueous lactic acid-containing solution, by solvent extraction. The starting materials are then formed into cyclic esters by removal of water wherein the concentration of higher molecular weight oligomers is maintained below about 20 wt % of the reaction composition. The process further includes providing a recovery solvent for the reaction composition and separating the cyclic esters from the starting materials and higher molecular weight oligomers by liquid-liquid equilibrium separation. The present invention is further directed toward independent novel unit operations of the overall process. The present invention provides for the efficient production and recovery of cyclic esters due to integration of the various unit operations by use of appropriate solvents and recycle streams. In addition, high rates of conversion of starting materials and high rates of selective production of cyclic esters are achieved by appropriate control of process parameters.

Method to produce cyclic esters

Thermally reversible isocyanate-based polymers

Thermally-reversible polymer compositions are obtained by reacting compounds with isocyanate and labile-hydrogen functionality. High-performance characteristics are incorporated into the polymer by using aromatic polycarbonate, aromatic polyester, polyarylsulfide, and polyarylimidazolidine oligomers. The compositions are useful as hot-melt adhesives, coatings and especially finish surface coatings on composite materials such as polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate, moldings and in injection reaction molding applications and composite and laminate fabrication.

Thermally-reversible isocyanate-based polymers

Disclosed is a method for producing cyclic esters by the conversion of hydroxy carboxylic acids and their derivatives to their respective cyclic esters. Such cyclic esters, including lactide or glycolide, are particularly useful for producing polymers which can be used to make biodegradable materials, such as biodegradable packaging material. Various methods of cyclic ester production are disclosed, including liquid phase and vapor phase reactions. Also disclosed are various methods for recovering cyclic esters from product-containing streams.

Thermally-reversible polymer compositions are obtained by reacting compounds with isocyanate and labile-hydrogen functionality. High-performance characteristics are incorporated into the polymer by using polyimide, aromatic polycarbonate, aromatic polyester, polyphenylene sulfide, and poly(parabanic acid) oligomers. Low-temperature flexibility and toughness are imparted to the polymers by using prepolymers such as polycaprolactone diols, polytetramethylene ether glycols and polyaliphatic carbon diols. Ionic bonding and liquid-crystal functionality may also be incorporated into the compositions. The compositions are useful as hot-melt adhesives, coatings, and moldings and in injection reaction molding applications and composite and laminate fabrication.

Thermally-reversible isocyanate polymers

A block copolymer dispersion stabilizer for use in the aqueous dispersion polymerization of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer comprises at least two blocks linked by chemical valences. At least one of the blocks is hydrophilic (water soluble) and at least another of said blocks is hydrophobic (water insoluble). The hydrophobic block can contain a plurality of similar or dissimilar pendent groups having chemically reactive functionality. Examples of such groups are epoxy groups and ethylenically unsaturated bonds. An aqueous dispersion polymerization process utilizes water as the dispersion medium, a free-radical polymerization catalyst, a block copolymer dispersion stabilizer comprising at least two blocks linked by chemical valences wherein at least one of said blocks is hydrophilic and at least another of said blocks is hydrophobic and can contain a plurality of similar or dissimilar pendent groups having chemically reactive functionality, and a polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer such as, for example, styrene, vinyl acetate, acrylonitrile, methyl methacrylate, butadiene, styrenebutadiene mixtures, and acrylonitrile-styrene mixtures.

Block copolymer dispersion stabilizer and aqueous dispersion

Air-driable alkyd resins are prepared by reacting substantially equimolar a dicarboxylic acid anhydride and a glycidyl ester of a primary fatty acid, at least part of the ester having a--CH.dbd.CH--linkage not .alpha..beta. to the carboxyl group residue of the fatty acid residue. The glycidyl ester may be used alone or in admixture with a glycidyl ether or ephichlorohydrin. Polymerization is effected at relatively low temperatures (100.degree. C. or less) using a catalyst, which is preferably a stannous or zinc carboxylate. The resins produced are substantially color-free and have a narrow range of molecular weights.

Air-driable alkyd resins and process for their preparation

Process for the telomerization of olefins with secondary alcohols comprising admixing a secondary alcohol telogen with a mono-olefinically unsaturated hydrocarbon taxogen in catalytically effective amounts of a free radical generating initiator in a reaction zone, the telogen to taxogen molar ratio in the reaction zone being greater than about 1:1 as measured on the effluent stream from the reaction zone, at a temperature ranging from about 125.degree. C. to about 275.degree. C. and that a pressure varying from about 2000 psi to about 10,000 psi.

Low molecular weight tert.-alcohols

A free-flowing, homogeneous, polymer-coated pigment, particulate powder coating composition is obtained in preparing a coating composition involving catalytic polymerization of at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer in a nonaqueous aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent for said monomer and in the presence of a dispersion stabilizer having a polymeric segment solvated by said solvent and another segment relatively non-solvated by the solvent and associated with polymer particles which are formed upon said polymerization of said monomer and which are insoluble in said solvent for providing a nonaqueous dispersion of said polymer particles, through a sequence of steps including:

Pigmented, particulate powder coating composition

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Groveport, OH, United States of America

George E Cremeans