General Electric Company

Sabic Innovative Plastics IP B.v.

Eg&g Sealol, Inc.

Sabic Global Technologies B.v.

Norman Enoch Johnson

David Winfield Woodruff

Thomas Link Guggenheim

Daniel Joseph Brunelle

Farid Fouad Khouri

Ganesh Kailasam

David Bruce Hall

Peter David Phelps

Norberto Silvi

Mark Howard Giammattei

Paul William Buckley

Pradeep Jeevaji Nadkarni

Raul Eduardo Ayala

Amy Rene Freshour

Paul Russell Wilson

Jan Peter Keulen

Roy Ray Odle

James Manio Silva

Jimmy Lynn Webb

James Norman Cawse

Thomas Joseph Fyvie

Elliott West Shanklin

Viswanathan Kalyanaraman

Juan Justino Rodriguez Ordonez

Beatriz Penalver Bernabe

John Yupeng Gui

Paul Edward Howson

Albert Santo Stella

Jorge Jimenez

Matthew Hal Littlejohn

Lioba Maria Kloppenburg

Havva Yagci Acar

Lee Harris Bergman

Aaron Royer

Thomas Joseph Fyve

Paul Howson

Viswanathan Kalayaraman

Robert J Werling

Robert E Greenwell

Richard T Miskinis

Richard A Shafer

Daniel F Vasconcellos

Harold F Greiner

Michael T Whitaker

Donald Owens

Donald E Iii Owens

Beatrice Penalver Bernabe

A method for producing an aromatic dianhydride includes reacting an aromatic diimide with a substituted or unsubstituted phthalic anhydride in an aqueous medium in the presence of an amine exchange catalyst to provide an aqueous reaction mixture including an N-substituted phthalimide, an aromatic tetraacid salt, and at least one of an aromatic triacid salt and an aromatic imide diacid salt. The method further includes removing the phthalimide from the aqueous reaction mixture by extracting the aqueous reaction mixture with an organic solvent for a first time period, at a first extraction temperature and subsequent to the first time period, extracting the aqueous reaction mixture with an organic solvent for a second time period, at a second extraction temperature. The aromatic tetraacid salt is converted to the corresponding aromatic dianhydride. Aromatic dianhydrides prepared according to the method are also described.

Method for isolation of a dianhydride and dianhydrides prepared by the method

A process for making ultra-fine particles of a high performance polymer in a yield greater than 90%, which includes dissolving the high performance polymer in an organic solvent capable of dissolving the polymer to form a solution; emulsifying the solution by combining the solution with water and a surfactant to form an emulsion; transferring the emulsion into a receiving water containing a surfactant to remove the organic solvent and form a slurry; and recovering particles of less than 75 microns in diameter in a yield greater than 90%.

Optimized emulsion drying process for making micronized polyetherimide polymers

A method for the purification of aromatic polyether polymers prepared by a halide displacement polymerization process comprises adsorbing the catalyst with an alkali metal halide to form an adsorbent component and then removing the adsorbent component. Mixtures resulting from this method are also discussed.

Mixtures resulting from methods for purification of polyether polymers

Bis(halophthalimides) are prepared in mixture in an organic liquid such as ortho-dichlorobenzene or anisole, by a reaction at a temperature of at least 150&#xb0; C. between at least one diamine compound and at least one halophthalic anhydride in the presence of imidization catalyst. The reaction mixture is maintained at about 15% by weight solids content and rich in the halophthalic anhydride by constantly monitoring the reaction mixture using analytical methods such as high performance liquid chromatography. The product mixture may be directly employed in the direct preparation of polyetherimides, and similar slurries may be employed to prepare other polyether polymers.

Method to prepare bis(haloimides)

Method for purification of polyether polymers and mixtures resulting therefrom

Polyether polymers, such as polyetherimides, are prepared by the reaction of a dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon alkali metal salt, such as bisphenol A disodium salt, with a bis(N-(chlorophthalimido))aromatic compound, such as 1,3- and/or 1,4-bis(N-(4-chlorophthalimido))benzene, in a solvent such as o-dichlorobenzene and in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst such as a hexaalkylguanidinium chloride. Several embodiments may be employed to improve the method. They comprise employing substantially dry reagents, employing a high solids level in solvent, beginning with an excess of bis(N-(chlorophthalimido))-aromatic compound and incrementally adding alkali metal salt, employing alkali metal salt of small particle size, and using reagents of high purity.

Phase transfer catalyzed method for preparation of polyetherimides

A method of making a polyether polymer comprises reacting a salt of a dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon with a substituted aromatic compound of formula (I)Z(A&#x2014;X)&#x2003;&#x2003;(I)in the presence of a catalyst to form an intermediate polymer having endgroups, wherein the molar ratio of the salt of a dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon to the substituted aromatic compound is less than 1, Z is an activating radical, Ais an aromatic radical and Xis fluoro, chloro, bromo or nitro; determining the additional amount of the salt of a dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon needed to form a final polyether polymer with a predetermined molecular weight and adding the additional amount of the salt of a dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon to the intermediate polymer.

Method for producing polyether polymers

A method of separating a polymer-solvent mixture is described wherein a polymer-solvent mixture is heated prior to its introduction into an extruder comprising an upstream vent and/or a side feeder vent to allow flash evaporation of the solvent, and downstream vents for removal of remaining solvent. The one-step method is highly efficient having very high throughput rates while at the same time providing a polymer product containing low levels of residual solvent.

Method of separating a polymer from a solvent

Disclosed is a method for preparing an alkali metal salt of a hydroxy-substituted hydrocarbon which comprises the steps of (i) contacting in solvent media at least one hydroxy-substituted hydrocarbon with a base comprising an alkali metal cation; and (ii) devolatilizing the solvent media comprising alkali metal salt by adding or spraying the solvent media into a substantially water-immiscible organic solvent, said solvent being at a temperature greater than the boiling point of solvent media at the prevailing pressure. In one embodiment the solvent media comprises water, and optionally at least one water-soluble protic organic solvent.

Method for making salts hydroxy-substituted hydrocarbons

Aromatic polyethers are prepared by displacement polymerization reaction in the presence of a water-immiscible solvent with boiling point at atmospheric pressure of greater than 110&deg; C. and a density ratio to water of greater than 1.1:1 at 20-25&deg; C. The polyethers are purified by processes comprising aqueous extraction, or filtration, or a combination thereof.

Method for purification of aromatic polyethers

Aromatic polyethers are prepared by displacement polymerization reaction in the presence of a water-immiscible solvent with density ratio to water in a range of between about 0.9:1 and about 1.1:1 measured at a temperature in a range of between about 20&deg; C. and about 25&deg; C. The polyethers are purified by processes comprising aqueous extraction, or filtration, or a combination thereof.

The present invention provides a process for recovering a metal nitrite, e.g., sodium nitrite, from a reaction mixture formed from an aromatic displacement reaction such as the synthesis of an aromatic bis(ether phthalimide) in an organic non-polar solvent. The process comprises forming a reaction mixture from the synthesis of an aromatic bis(ether phthalimide) comprising a recoverable amount of metal nitrite; treating the reaction mixture with an amount of water effective to produce an aqueous solution phase of metal nitrite and an organic non-polar phase; and separating the aqueous solution phase of metal nitrite from the organic non-polar phase.

Process for recovering sodium nitrite

A process for the production of butanediol from the hydrogenation of .gamma.-butyrolactone is provided. The process involves passing vaporized .gamma.-butyrolactone, water and hydrogen over a copper zinc catalyst. The incorporation of water with the .gamma.-butyrolactone and hydrogen results in increased productivity of butanediol.

Process for the production of butanediol

Lactones, particularly gamma-butyrolactone, are hydrogenated in the vapor phase to glycols over a copper chromite catalyst.

Hydrogenation of lactones to glycols

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Mount Vernon, IN, United States of America

Norman Enoch Johnson