Process of Manufacturing Polyols

Added on:
17 Aug, 2020

A method of producing a polyether polyol that includes reacting a low molecular weight initiator with one or more monomers in the presence of a polymerization catalyst, the low molecular weight initiator having a number average molecular weight of less than 1,000 g/mol and a nominal hydroxyl functionality at least 2, the one or more monomers including at least one selected from propylene oxide and butylene oxide, and the polymerization catalyst being a Lewis acid catalyst having the general formula M(R1)1(R2)1(R3)1(R4)0 or 1. Whereas, M is boron, aluminum, indium, bismuth or erbium, R1, R2, and R3 each includes a same fluoroalkyl-substituted phenyl group, and optional R4 includes a functional group or functional polymer group. The method further includes forming a polyether polyol having a number average molecular weight of greater than the number average molecular weight of the low molecular weight initiator in the presence of the Lewis acid catalyst.

  • Inventors: Raghuraman, Arjun (Pearland, TX, US) Heath, William H. (Lake Jackson, TX, US)
  • Mukhopadhyay, Sukrit (Midland, MI, US)
  • Spinney, Heather A. (Midland, MI, US)
  • Wilson, David R. (Midland, MI, US)
  • Gies, Anthony P. (Lake Jackson, TX, US)
  • Paradkar, Manjiri R. (Lake Jackson, TX, US)
  • Notestein, Justin M. (Evanston, IL, US)
  • Nguyen, Sonbinh T. (Evanston, IL, US)
  • Assignees:
  • Dow Global Technologies LLC (Midland, MI, US)
  • Northwestern University (Evanston, IL, US)
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