General Electric Company

Kirill Vladimirovich Shalyaev

Grigorii Lev Soloveichik

Bruce Fletcher Johnson

Donald Wayne Whisenhunt, Jr

Eric James Pressman

Ben Purushotam Patel

John Yaw Ofori

Richard Anthony Battista

Eric Douglas Williams

James Lawrence Spivack

James Norman Cawse

Marsha Mottel Grade

Ben Purushatom Patel

John E Hallgren

Jonathan Lloyd Male

Timothy Leigh Chuck

Peter John Bonitatebus, Jr

A method of increasing the amount of diphenylcarbonate produced per amount of catalyst consumed in a phenol carbonylation process is described. Phenolic carbonylation produces water as a reaction product which reduces the turnover number (TON) of the catalyst. A mixture of a phenolic precursor, a base containing catalyst and co-catalyst components and at least one chemical additive comprising a halide or hydroxide of alkali metal or alkaline earth metal when carbonylated together under specific conditions increases the turnover number (TON) and water resistivity of a palladium catalyst. The metal halide likely makes the catalyst less susceptible to degradation by water hence increasing the reaction yield per weight of catalyst consumed.

Water resistant catalyst for the production of diaryl carbonates via the direct carbonylation of phenolic compounds

Organolead compounds such as tetraethyllead are useful in catalyst compositions for the oxidative carbonylation of hydroxyaromatic compounds to diaryl carbonates. They are employed in combination with a Group 8, 9, or 10 metal such as palladium, or a compound thereof, and a bromide or chloride such as tetraethylammonium bromide.

Oxidative carbonylation of hydroxyaromatic compounds

The present invention provides a method and catalyst composition for carbonylating aromatic hydroxy compounds, comprising the step of contacting at least one aromatic hydroxy compound with oxygen and carbon monoxide in the presence of a carbonylation catalyst composition comprising an effective amount of at least one Group 8, 9, or 10 metal source, an effective amount of a combination of inorganic co-catalysts comprising at least one Group 4 metal source and at least one Group 11 metal source, an effective amount of at least one salt co-catalyst with an anion selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, benzoate, acetate, sulfate, and nitrate, wherein the carbonylation catalyst composition is free of a halide source.

Method and catalyst composition for producing aromatic carbonates

A method and catalyst composition for economically producing aromatic carbonates from aromatic hydroxy compounds is disclosed. The present invention provides a method for carbonylating aromatic hydroxy compounds, comprising the step of contacting at least one aromatic hydroxy compound with oxygen and carbon monoxide in the presence of a halide-free carbonylation catalyst composition comprising an effective amount of at least one Group 8, 9, or 10 metal source, an effective amount of a first inorganic co-catalyst comprising at least one Group 14 metal source, an effective amount of a salt co-catalyst, and optionally an effective amount of a second inorganic co-catalyst selected from the group consisting of a Group 4 metal source, a Group 7 metal source, a Group 11 metal source, and a lanthanide element source, and optionally an effective amount of a base. A significant advantage of the present method and catalyst compositions is that no halide is present or required in the reaction mixture for catalytic activity.

A method and catalyst system for economically producing aromatic carbonates from aromatic hydroxy compounds. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of carbonylating aromatic hydroxy compounds by contacting at least one aromatic hydroxy compound with oxygen and carbon monoxide in the presence of a carbonylation catalyst system that includes an effective amount of a Group VIII B metal source; an effective amount of a bromide composition; an effective amount of an activating organic solvent; an effective amount of a combination of inorganic co-catalysts comprising a lead source and a copper source; and an effective amount of a base.

Method and catalyst system for producing aromatic carbonates

A method and catalyst system for economically producing aromatic carbonates from aromatic hydroxy compounds is disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of carbonylating aromatic hydroxy compounds by contacting at least one aromatic hydroxy compound with oxygen and carbon monoxide in the presence of a carbonylation catalyst system that includes an effective amount of at least one Group 8, 9, or 10 metal source; an effective amount of at least one bromide composition; an effective amount of at least one activating organic solvent; an effective amount of a combination of inorganic co-catalysts comprising at least one titanium source and at least one copper source; and an effective amount of at least one base.

A process for catalytic production of diaryl carbonates by oxidative carbonylation of aromatic hydroxy compounds with carbon monoxide and oxygen achieves water removal during reaction by a process comprising the steps of: removing a liquid stream from an oxidative carbonylation reaction mixture in a reaction vessel and transferring the stream to a disengagement vessel, transferring a stream from the disengagement vessel to a flash vessel and subjecting the liquid stream to reduced pressure, and returning at least a portion of dried liquid stream to the reaction vessel. Typical catalyst systems for oxidative carbonylation contain (A) at least one Group 8, 9, or 10 metal having an atomic number of at least 44 or a compound thereof; (B) at least one guanidinium salt or onium salt; (C) at least one metal co-catalyst; and (D) at least one base.

Process for the production of diaryl carbonates

A method and catalyst system for economically producing aromatic carbonates from aromatic hydroxy compounds is disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of carbonylating aromatic hydroxy compounds by contacting at least one aromatic hydroxy compound with oxygen and carbon monoxide in the presence of a carbonylation catalyst system that includes an effective amount of at least one Group , or metal source; an effective amount of at least one bromide composition; an effective amount of at least one activating organic solvent; an effective amount of a combination of inorganic co-catalysts comprising at least one titanium source and at least one copper source; and an effective amount of at least one base.

A method and catalyst system for producing aromatic carbonates from aromatic hydroxy compounds. In one embodiment, the method includes the step of contacting at least one aromatic hydroxy compound with oxygen and carbon monoxide in the presence of a carbonylation catalyst system having an effective amount of a nickel source in the absence of a Group VIII B metal source. In various alternative embodiments, the carbonylation catalyst system can include at least one inorganic co-catalyst, as well as a halide composition and/or a base.

Catalyst compositions for producing aromatic carbonates

A process for catalytic production of diaryl carbonates by oxidative carbonylation of aromatic hydroxy compounds with carbon monoxide and oxygen achieves water removal during reaction by a process comprising the steps of: removing a liquid stream from an oxidative carbonylation reaction mixture in a reaction vessel, subjecting the liquid stream to reduced pressure, and returning at least a portion of dried liquid stream to the reaction vessel. Typical catalyst systems for oxidative carbonylation contain (A) at least one Group 8, 9, or 10 metal having an atomic number of at least 44 or a compound thereof; (B) at least one alkali metal salt; (C) at least one metal co-catalyst; (D) at least one activating organic solvent; and (E) optionally, at least one base.

The present invention is directed to a method for reducing the percent decomposition of an aromatic carbonate in a first reaction mixture comprising the aromatic carbonate, the method comprising the step of adding at least one decomposition-reducing additive to the first reaction mixture, so as to produce a second reaction mixture in which the percent of the aromatic carbonate present in the second reaction mixture after a predetermined amount of time is greater than the percent of the aromatic carbonate that would be present in the first reaction mixture in the absence of adding the decomposition-reducing additive, after the same predetermined amount of time.

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Clifton Park, NY, United States of America

Kirill Vladimirovich Shalyaev