Multi-component catalyst system for the polycondensation manufacture of polyesters

1. A multi-component catalyst structure for the polycondensation of a polyester monomer comprising the element germanium in an amount of from 1 part per million to 200 parts per million, and one or more catalyst enhancers selected from the group of elements consisting of aluminum in an amount from 1 part per million to 400 parts per million, silicon in an amount from 1 part per million to 400 parts per million, molybdenum in an amount from 1 part per million to 200 parts per million, manganese in an amount from 1 part per million to 400 parts per million, lithium in an amount from 1 part per million to 200 parts per million and combinations thereof, except for a combination of germanium and lithium, said elements being in the form of polycondensation compatible elements, compounds, acids, bases, salts, compositions, oxides or organic complexes.

2. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the monomer is bis-hydroxy-ethyl terephthalate, which is polycondensed to produce polyethylene terephthalate.

3. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the enhancer is aluminium.

4. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the enhancer is silicon.

5. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the enhancer is molybdenum.

6. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the enhancer is manganese.

7. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the enhancer is lithium and one or more of aluminium, silicon, molybdenum, and manganese.

8. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the enhancer is two or more of aluminium, silicon, molybdenum, manganese, and lithium.

9. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the level of germanium is 5 to 100 parts per million and the level of aluminium is 20 to 200 parts per million.

10. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the level of germanium is 5 to 60 parts per million and the level of aluminium is 60 to 150 parts per million.

11. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the amount of germanium is 10 to 80 parts per million and the amount of silicon is 10 to 200 parts per million.

12. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the amount of germanium is 20 to 60 parts per million and the level of silicon is 20 to 150 parts per million.

13. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the level of germanium is 1 to 100 parts per million and the level of molybdenum is 1 to 100 parts per million.

14. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the level of germanium is 5 to 60 parts per million and the level of molybdenum is 1 to 20 parts per million.

15. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the amount of germanium is 10 to 80 parts per million and the level of manganese is 10 to 200 parts per million.

16. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the amount of germanium is 20 to 60 parts per million and the level of manganese is 20 to 150 parts per million.

17. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, and silicon.

18. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, and molybdenum.

19. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, and manganese.

20. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, and lithium.

21. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, silicon, and molybdenum.

22. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, silicon, and manganese.

23. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, silicon, and lithium.

24. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, molybdenum, and manganese.

25. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, molybdenum, and lithium.

26. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, manganese, and lithium.

27. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, silicon, and molybdenum.

28. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, silicon, and manganese.

29. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, silicon, and lithium.

30. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, silicon, molybdenum, and manganese.

31. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, silicon, molybdenum, and lithium.

32. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, molybdenum, manganese, and lithium.

33. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, molybdenum, and manganese.

34. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, manganese, and lithium.

35. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, silicon, molybdenum, and manganese.

36. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, molybdenum, and lithium.

37. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, silicon, manganese, and lithium.

38. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, silicon, manganese, and molybdenum.

39. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, silicon, manganese, and lithium.

40. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, silicon, manganese, molybdenum, and lithium.

41. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 2 comprising germanium, aluminium, silicon, molybdenum, and lithium.

42. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the aluminium is incorporated in the catalyst structure as a phenoxide, a lactate, a stearate, a glycolate, an oxalate, a citrate, or a tartrate.

43. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lithium is incorporated in the catalyst structure as a hydroxide, an acetate, a citrate, a carbonate, or an oxalate.

44. A multi-component catalyst structure for the polycondensation of a polyester comprising the element germanium and one or more catalyst enhancers selected from the group of elements consisting of silicon in an amount of from 1 part per million to 400 parts per million, molybdenum in an amount of from 1 part per million to 200 parts per million, manganese in an amount of from 1 part per million to 400 parts per million, lithium in an amount of from 1 part per million to 200 parts per million, and combinations thereof, except for a combination of germanium and lithium, said elements being in the form of polycondensation compatible elements, compounds, acids, bases, salts, compositions, oxides or organic complexes.

45. A multi-component catalyst structure as claimed in claim 44 wherein the monomer is bis-hydroxy-ethyl terephthalate, which is polycondensed to produce polyethylene terephthalate.

46. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 wherein the enhancer is silicon.

47. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 wherein the enhancer is molybdenum.

48. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 wherein the enhancer is manganese.

49. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 wherein the enhancer is lithium and one or more of silicon, molybdenum, and manganese.

50. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 wherein the enhancer is two or more of silicon, molybdenum, manganese, and lithium.

51. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 comprising germanium, silicon, and molybdenum.

52. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 comprising germanium, silicon, and manganese.

53. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 comprising germanium, silicon, and lithium.

54. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 comprising germanium, molybdenum, and manganese.

55. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 comprising germanium, molybdenum, and lithium.

56. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 comprising germanium, manganese, and lithium.

57. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 comprising germanium, silicon, molybdenum, and manganese.

58. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 comprising germanium, silicon, molybdenum, and lithium.

59. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 comprising germanium, molybdenum, manganese, and lithium.

60. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 comprising germanium, silicon, molybdenum, and manganese.

61. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 comprising germanium, silicon, manganese, and lithium.

62. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 45 comprising germanium, silicon, manganese, molybdenum, and lithium.

63. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 44 wherein the lithium is incorporated in the catalyst structure as a hydroxide, an acetate, a citrate, a carbonate, or an oxalate.

64. A multi-component catalyst structure for the polycondensation of a polyester monomer comprising the element germanium in an amount of from 1 part per million to 200 parts per million, and the catalyst enhancers aluminum in an amount of from 1 part per million to 400 parts per million and lithium in an amount of from 1 part per million to 200 parts per million, said elements being in the form of polycondensation compatible elements, compounds, acids, bases, salts, compositions, oxides or organic complexes.

65. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 64 comprising the monomer is bis-hydroxy-ethyl terephthalate, which is polycondensed to produce polyethylene terephthalate.

66. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 64 wherein the amount of germanium is 5 to 100 parts per million, the level of aluminium is 20 to 200 parts per million, and the amount of lithium is 10 to 80 parts per million.

67. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 64 wherein the amount of germanium is 5 to 30 parts per million, the level of aluminium is 60 to 150 parts per million and the level of lithium is 20 to 70 parts per million.

68. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 64 wherein the aluminium is incorporated in the catalyst structure as a phenoxide, a lactate, a stearate, a glycolate, an oxalate, a citrate, or a tartrate.

69. A catalyst structure as claimed in claim 64 wherein the lithium is incorporated in the catalyst structure as a hydroxide, an acetate, a citrate, a carbonate, or an oxalate.