The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 23, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 17, 1994
Carma Joleen Gibler, Houston, TX (US);
David Michael Austgen, Jr., Missouri City, TX (US);
Roy Arthur Parker, Houston, TX (US);
Shell Oil Company, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A method is provided to hydrogenate a polymer containing ethylenic unsaturation comprising the steps of: providing a solution or suspension of the polymer containing ethylenice unsaturation with an amount of Group VIII metal alkoxide or carboxylate and metal alkyl hydrogenation catalyst effective to permit hydrogenation of the ethylenic unsaturation upon exposure to hydrogen; exposing the polymer solution or suspension to a hydrogen partial pressure for a time period sufficient to hydrogenate greater than about 90 percent of the ethylenic unsaturation; adding additional Group VIII metal alkoxide or carboxylate and metal alkyl hydrogenation catalyst to the polymer solution or suspension after greater than about 90 percent of the ethylenic unsaturation has been hydrogenated; mixing the hydrogenated polymer solution or suspension with the additional Group VIII metal alkoxide or carboxylate and metal alkyl hydrogenation catalyst with an aqueous solution of an acid; and separating a hydrogenated polymer solution or suspension that contains less than about 0.8 percent by weight water from the aqueous solution. The invention utilizes a surprising discovery that addition of the hydrogenation catalyst above that necessary or desirable for hydrogenation of ethylenic unsaturation results in improved separation of the catalyst metals, and the aqueous phase, from the polymer solution or suspension.