Polymer hydrogenation process
View Patent ↗A process for hydrogenating unsaturations in polymers, the process comprising contacting at least one polymer having unsaturations with a catalyst comprising at least one Group Ia, Ib, IIb, VIb, VIIb or VIII metal on a support of an alkaline earth metal silicate having a surface area of at least 30 m2/g at a temperature of from 50 to 250° C. and a pressure of from 5 to 150 bar.
1. A process for hydrogenating unsaturations in polymers, the process comprising contacting at least one polymer having unsaturations and hydrogen with a supported catalyst at a temperature of from 5 to 250° C. and a pressure of from 5 to 150 bars, said catalyst comprising at least one Group Ia, Ib, IIb, VIb, VIIb or VIII metal on a support comprising crystalline calcium silicate having a surface area of at least 30 m 2 /g.
2. A process according to claim 1 wherein said support has a surface area within the range of 30 to 200 m 2 /g.
3. A process according to claim 1 wherein said support has a surface area within the range of 40 to 90 m 2 /g.
4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the calcium silicate has the chemical composition Ca 6 Si 6 O 17 (OH) 2 .
5. A process according to claim 1 wherein the support is in the form of substantially spherical particles having a mean diameter of from 10 to 200 microns and comprising pores in the particles having a diameter of from 100 to 2000 Angstroms.
6. A process according to claim 1 wherein the support has a basicity corresponding to a pH of greater than 7.5 when the support is immersed in water at a concentration of 4 wt. %.
7. A process according to claim 1 wherein said catalyst comprises palladium impregnated onto the support in an amount of from 0.01 to 10 wt. % based on the weight of the supported catalyst.
8. A process according to claim 1 wherein said catalyst is contacted at a temperature within the range of 100 to 160° C. and a pressure within the range of 20 to 100 bars.
9. A process according to claim 1 wherein said at least one polymer is dissolved in a solvent to provide a feedstock having a solids content of from 1 to 75 wt. %.
10. A process according to claim 1 wherein said at least one polymer has ethylenically unsaturated regions and aromatically unsaturated regions and the ethylenically unsaturated regions are selectively hydrogenated.
11. A process according to claim 1 wherein said at least one polymer comprises a styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer.
12. A process for selectively hydrogenating at least one unsaturated polymer having ethylenically unsaturated regions and aromatically unsaturated regions comprising contacting said at least one polymer with hydrogen in the presence of a supported catalyst comprising at least one Group Ia, Ib, IIb, VIb, VIIb or VIII metal on a crystalline calcium silicate support having a surface area of at least 30 m 2 /g, the support being in the form of substantially spherical particles and comprising pores in the particles having a diameter of from 100 to 2000 Angstroms.
13. A process according to claim 12 wherein said pores have a diameter within the range of 100 to 1000 Angstroms.
14. A process according to claim 12 , wherein the calcium silicate has the chemical composition Ca 6 Si 6 O 17 (OH) 2 .
15. A process according to claim 12 wherein said at least one polymer comprises a styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer.
16. A process according to claim 15 wherein said styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer is passed over the catalyst at a temperature within the range of 60-200° C. and a pressure within the range of 5-150 bars.
17. The process according to claim 16 wherein said temperature is within the range of 100-160° C. and said pressure is within the range of 20-100 bars.