BPA and polycarbonate made from renewable materials
View Patent ↗Bio-derived bisphenol A is made by combining bio-derived phenol and/or bio-derived acetone in the presence of a catalyst, The phenol or the acetone or both contain at least 0.5%, for example at least 1 weight % of bio-derived impurities. In the case of bio-derived phenol, these impurities may include one or more of 2-methylbenzofuran, 2-methoxyphenol, 2-methylphenol, 4-methylphenol (para-cresol) or 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol. In the case of acetone, the impurity may be ethanol, mesityl acetone and/or diacetone alcohol. This bio-derived BPA can be used in the production of polycarbonates with less fossil fuel-based carbon content.
1. A method for preparing bisphenol A comprising combining phenol and acetone in the presence of a catalyst to form bisphenol A, wherein the phenol, the acetone or both are derived at least in part from a biosource, and wherein the phenol and/or the acetone contains at least 0.5 weight % of bio-derived impurities.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phenol contains one or more bio-derived impurities selected from the group consisting of 2-methylbenzofuran, 2-methoxyphenol, 2-methylphenol, 4-methylphenol (para-cresol) or 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the bisphenol A is crystallized as an adduct with phenol, further comprising the step of stripping phenol and one or more impurities from the bisphenol by desorption.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the impurity includes at least 500 ppm 2-Methoxy-4-methylphenol.
5. The method claim 3 , wherein the impurity includes at least 500 ppm 4-methylphenol (para-cresol).
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the phenol contains less than 5 weight % guaiacol.
7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the phenol contains less than 10 weight % cresols.
8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the impurity includes at least 500 ppm 2-Methoxy-4-methylphenol.
9. The method claim 2 , wherein the impurity includes at least 500 ppm 4-methylphenol (para-cresol).
10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the phenol contains less than 5 weight % guaiacol.
11. The method of claim 2 , wherein the phenol contains less than 10 weight % cresols.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bisphenol A is crystallized as an adduct with phenol, further comprising the step of stripping phenol and one or more impurities from the bisphenol by desorption.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phenol is bio-derived.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the phenol contains at least 1 wt % bio-derived impurities.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acetone is bio-derived.
16. A method of making BPA-containing polycarbonate, comprising the steps of:
(1) obtaining a feedstock of bisphenol A formed in claim 1
(2) treating the feedstock obtained in step (1) under phase transfer, melt, solid state, or any other polymerization process conditions sufficient to form BPA-containing polycarbonate, thereby forming BPA-containing polycarbonate.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein at least 80 weight % of the BPA incorporated in the polymer is bioderived material.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the BPA-containing polycarbonate is a BPA homopolymer.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein at least 70% of the carbons in the polycarbonate are bioderived carbons.
20. A polycarbonate comprising BPA formed from bioderived phenol, wherein at least 70% of the carbons in the polycarbonate are bioderived carbons.
21. The polycarbonate of claim 20 , wherein at least 90% of the carbons in the polycarbonate are bioderived carbons.
22. The polycarbonate of claim 20 , wherein 100% of the carbons in the polycarbonate are bioderived carbons.
23. A polycarbonate comprising BPA formed from bioderived phenol, wherein at least 80 weight % of the BPA incorporated in the polymer is bioderived material.
24. The polycarbonate of claim 23 , wherein 100 weight % of the BPA incorporated in the polymer is bioderived material.
25. A polycarbonate comprising BPA formed from bioderived acetone, wherein the amount of bio-derived carbons in the polycarbonate is at least 17 weight %.
26. A polycarbonate formed by reaction of a bisphenol reagent, where the bisphenol reagent consists of 99 weight % bisphenol A and 1 weight % guaiacol bisphenol A.