National Distillers and Chemical Corporation

Quantum Chemical Corporation

Hanes, Ronnie M.

Brima, Thomas S.

Kwiatek, Jack

Thomas S Brima

Ronnie M Hanes

Biau-Hung Chang

Jack Kwiatek

David Horvitz

Auburn B Cottingham

A process for making a biodegradable aliphatic polyester and the polyester so formed is disclosed. The process comprises copolymerizing a cyclic ketene acetal having the structural formula ##STR1## where R is a bivalent moiety, and an olefin. This copolymerization occurs in a solution of a tertiary alcohol and in the presence of a free radical initiating effective amount of a compound having the structural formula ##STR2## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are the same or different and are C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 hydrocarbyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 hydrocarbyloxy, cyano, halogen, carboxy, carboalkoxy, carbonyl or formyl. The copolymerization occurs at a temperature in the range of between in excess of ambient temperature and less than 100.degree. C. and at a pressure in excess of about 2,000 psi. The aliphatic polyester product of this process contains repeating structural units of the formula ##STR3## where A is a radical of a polymerized olefinic monomer; R is a bivalent moiety; x is a positive integer; and y and z are 0 or a positive integer with the proviso that the sum of y and z is at least 1, ratio of x to y is in the range of between about 3:1 and about 200,000:1, the ratio of z to y is in the range of between 0 and about 0.5:1; and said polyester has a weight average molecular weight of at least about 40,000.

Process for making an aliphatic polyester by copolymerizing a cyclic

Processes for converting vinyl alcohol polymers to poly(keto-esters) and the novel products obtained therefrom are disclosed. The process involves reacting a vinyl alcohol polymer, such as PVA or EVOH, with an organic peroxyacid oxidizing agent in an inert liquid medium at a temperature from -20.degree. C. to 150.degree. C. to convert the secondary hydroxyl groups of the vinyl alcohol polymer to carbonyl and oxycarbonyl groups. In another aspect of the invention, the vinyl alcohol copolymer is first reacted with an oxidizing agent capable of converting the secondary hydroxyl groups to carbonyl but not to oxycarbonyl and then subsequently oxidized using a peroxyacid to form oxycarbonyl. The poly(keto-esters) comprised of carbonyl units, oxycarbonyl units, hydroxyl-containing units and units which are primarily hydrocarbons in nature are photodegradable and biodegradable.

Process for converting vinyl alcohol polymers to poly(keto-esters)

A process for making a hydrocarbyl vinyl ketone is disclosed. In this process a ketone having the structural formula CH.sub.3 COR, where R is lower alkyl, phenyl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.8 aralkyl, is reacted with methanol in an oxygen-containing atmosphere in the presence of a catalyst system comprising a catalytically effective amount of iron on an inert support. In another preferred embodiment, the catalyst system comprises a catalytically effective amount of a precious metal selected from the group consisting of silver and gold, in addition to iron, supported on an inert material.

Process for making a hydrocarbyl vinyl ketone

A process for preparing a substituted or unsubstituted gamma-crotonolactone is provided which comprises reacting a substituted or unsubstituted glycidol of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are the same or different and are H, alkyl of from 1 to 40 carbon atoms or aryl of from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, with carbon monoxide in the presence of a carbonylation catalyst to provide a corresponding beta-hydroxy lactone of the formula: ##STR2## and dehydrating said beta-hydroxy lactone to provide the corresponding gamma-crotonolactone of the formula: ##STR3##

Manufacture of gamma-crotonolactone by carbonylation of glycidol

A method is disclosed for the production of esters by reaction of an allylic ether with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a Group VIII noble metal catalyst and a halide compound to obtain esters. The halide compound is present in an amount sufficient to prevent the catalyst from being converted into a Group VIII metal during the reaction. When the reaction is conducted in the presence of a quaternary ammonium salt the ester may be extracted by solvent extraction to minimize catalyst decomposition caused when extractive distillation is used to separate the ester.

Carbonylation of allylic ethers to esters

A process for preparing 2-butenolide, a useful product for the manufacture of gamma-butyrolactone, is disclosed which comprises reacting furan with oxygen in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst comprising a mixed metal oxide containing titanium, boron and molybdenum.

Mixed metal oxide catalyst containing titanium, boron and molybdenum

A process for preparing anthraquinone is disclosed which comprises reacting 1,3-butadiene with oxygen in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst comprising a mixed metal oxide containing aluminum, molybdenum and titanium values.

Process for preparing anthraquinone

Process for preparing 2-butenolide

A mixture of gamma-butyrolactone and butenolide is obtained by reacting 1,3-butadiene with oxygen in the vapor phase at elevated temperature in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a mixed metal oxide containing boron, molybdenum and titanium values.

Process for preparing gamma-butyrolactone and butenolide

In the process for catalytically reacting olefin and oxygen to provide glycol or a mixture of glycol and glycol ester, higher rates of reaction and/or higher selectivities for the desired product(s) are obtained employing as catalyst, a composition comprising a mixture of molecular iodine and hydrobromic acid; hydriodic acid and hydrobromic acid; or, at least one oxide of antimony, bismuth or tellurium in admixture with at least one member of the group consisting of hydriodic acid; molecular iodine; hydriodic acid and molecular iodine; molecular iodine and hydrobromic acid; and, hydriodic acid and hydrobromic acid in a water or water-carboxylic acid reaction medium.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Thomas S Brima