Bayer Aktiengesellschaft

Norbert Roemer

Ernst Grigat

Georg Niederdellmann

Hartmut Hetzel

Jurgen Schenk

The present invention is directed to a process for separating polyurethane hydrolyzates, preferably polyurethane foam hydrolyzates, into substantially amine-free foamable polyethers and diamines, comprising (a) (i) briefly expanding a hot polyurethane hydrolyzate obtained in a continuous screw extruder to normal pressure or in vacuo and, without using readily volatile components (ii) spraying said hydrolyzate directly into a tubular coil evaporator which is heated to 180.degree.-300.degree. C. and at the end of which a pressure of from 0.1 to 20 mbar is applied and (iii) separating a hydrolyzate containing less than 1% by weight of NH.sub.2 in a following cyclone from most of the diamine evaporated and all the solvent used, the diamine being separated from the solvent used in a following distillation column, optionally without any further heat input; (b) precipitating any diamine still present quantitatively in the form of its hydrochloride by introducing excess hydrogen chloride into the hydrolyzate, optionally diluted with inert solvents; and (c) the regenerated polyether obtained after removal by filtration of the precipitated amine salt being freed under reduced pressure from inert solvent and excess hydrogen chloride.

Process for separating polyurethane hydrolyzates into polyether and

The instant invention is directed to a process for the separation of polyurethane hydrolysates into polyamines and polyols which can be used again for the production of polyurethanes, comprising introducing gaseous hydrogen chloride into the hydrolysate mixture which has optionally been diluted with an inert solvent, and removing the precipitated amine salt by filtration, characterized in that

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Monchen-Gladbach, Germany

Norbert Roemer