Equilibration of siloxanes on water-containing sulphonated cation exchange resins

1. A process for producing equilibration products of organopolysiloxanes by rearrangement of the siloxane bond, comprising:

utilizing a macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin in a process for the reorganization of polydimethylsiloxanes;

recovering said macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin by filtration alone;

bringing an organopolysiloxane utilized as starting material or an organopolysiloxane mixture, into contact with the recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin, at a temperature of 10° C. to 120° C., without performing any aftertreatment with an organic solvent or a mineral acid on the recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin after it is recovered; and

isolating the resultant equilibrated organopolysiloxanes;

wherein said recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin has a P value ≧2.2×10 −3 m 3 /kg and an A value ≧35 m 2 /g, and is optionally utilized in the presence of a solvent;

wherein P is the product of the specific surface area and the mean pore diameter of said recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing resin;

wherein A is the specific surface area of said recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing resin; and

wherein the water content of the recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing resin is between 8 and 25 percent by weight based on the mass of the recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing resin.

2. The process according to claim 1 ;

wherein low-molecular-weight organopolysiloxanes are depolymerized.

3. The process according to claim 2 ;

wherein low-molecular-weight organopolysiloxanes are equilibrated;

wherein said recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin is utilized in the presence of the solvent;

wherein the solvent is an aliphatic hydrocarbon;

wherein an organopolysiloxane which is in equilibrium of the chemical compounds is isolated;

wherein the median pore diameter of the cation exchange resin is at least about 65 nm;

wherein the rearrangement is carried out at a temperature of about 35 to about 80° C.;

wherein the starting material is organopolysiloxanes with a viscosity of up to about 10 000 cP;

wherein the cation exchange resin has an average specific surface area which is about 30 to 50 m 2 /g;

wherein a fraction having the desired boiling range is separated off from the resultant organopolysiloxane mixture, and the fraction having the unwanted boiling range is recirculated into the feed of organopolysiloxanes; and

wherein the starting material is a mixture of hexamethyldisiloxane, poly(methyl)hydrogensiloxane, and siloxane cyclics.

4. The process according to claim 1 ;

wherein low-molecular-weight organopolysiloxanes are equilibrated.

5. The process according to claim 1 ;

wherein said recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin is utilized in the presence of the solvent; and

wherein the solvent is an aliphatic hydrocarbon.

6. The process according to claim 1 ;

wherein an organopolysiloxane which is in equilibrium of the chemical compounds is isolated.

7. The process according to claim 1 ;

wherein a cation exchange resin is utilized, the median pore diameter of which is at least about 65 nm.

8. The process according to claim 1 ;

wherein the rearrangement is carried out at a temperature of about 35 to about 80° C.

9. The process according to claim 1 ;

wherein, as starting material, organopolysiloxanes are utilized, the viscosity of which is up to about 10 000 cP.

10. The process according to claim 1 ;

wherein a cation exchange resin is utilized, the average specific surface area of which is about 30 to 50 m 2 /g.

11. The process according to claim 1 ;

wherein a fraction having the desired boiling range is separated off from the resultant organopolysiloxane mixture, and the fraction having the unwanted boiling range is recirculated into the feed of organopolysiloxanes.

12. The process according to claim 1 ;

wherein a mixture of hexamethyldisiloxane, poly(methyl)hydrogensiloxane, and siloxane cyclics is utilized as starting material.

13. A process for producing equilibration products of organopolysiloxanes by rearrangement of the siloxane bond, comprising:

utilizing a macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin in a process for the reorganization of polydimethylsiloxanes;

recovering said macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin by filtration alone;

bringing an organopolysiloxane utilized as starting material or an organopolysiloxane mixture, into contact with the recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin, at a temperature of 10° C. to 120° C., without performing any aftertreatment, except with water, on the recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin after it is recovered; and

isolating the resultant equilibrated organopolysiloxanes;

wherein said recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin is utilized, optionally in the presence of a solvent, which has a P value ≧2.2×10 −3 m 3 /kg and an A value ≧35 m 2 /g;

wherein P is the product of the specific surface area and the mean pore diameter of said recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing resin;

wherein A is the specific surface area of said recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing resin; and

wherein the water content of the recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing resin is between 8 and 25 percent by weight based on the mass of the recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing resin.

14. The process according to claim 13 ;

wherein low-molecular-weight organopolysiloxanes are depolymerized.

15. The process according to claim 14 ;

wherein low-molecular-weight organopolysiloxanes are equilibrated;

wherein said recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin is utilized in the presence of the solvent;

wherein the solvent is an aliphatic hydrocarbon;

wherein an organopolysiloxane which is in equilibrium of the chemical compounds is isolated;

wherein the median pore diameter of the cation exchange resin is at least about 65 nm;

wherein the rearrangement is carried out at a temperature of about 35 to about 80° C.;

wherein the starting material is organopolysiloxanes with a viscosity of up to about 10 000 cP;

wherein the cation exchange resin has an average specific surface area which is about 30 to 50 m 2 /g;

wherein a fraction having the desired boiling range is separated off from the resultant organopolysiloxane mixture, and the fraction having the unwanted boiling range is recirculated into the feed of organopolysiloxanes; and

wherein the starting material is a mixture of hexamethyldisiloxane, poly(methyl)hydrogensiloxane, and siloxane cyclics.

16. The process according to claim 13 ;

wherein low-molecular-weight organopolysiloxanes are equilibrated.

17. The process according to claim 13 ;

wherein said recovered macrocrosslinked sulphonic-acid-group-containing cation exchange resin is utilized in the presence of the solvent; and

wherein the solvent is an aliphatic hydrocarbon.

18. The process according to claim 13 ;

wherein an organopolysiloxane which is in equilibrium of the chemical compounds is isolated.

19. The process according to claim 13 ;

wherein a cation exchange resin is utilized, the median pore diameter of which is at least about 65 nm.

20. The process according to claim 13 ;

wherein the rearrangement is carried out at a temperature of about 35 to about 80° C.

21. The process according to claim 13 ;

wherein, as starting material, organopolysiloxanes are utilized, the viscosity of which is up to about 10 000 cP.

22. The process according to claim 13 ;

wherein a cation exchange resin is utilized, the average specific surface area of which is about 30 to 50 m 2 /g.

23. The process according to claim 13 ;

wherein a fraction having the desired boiling range is separated off from the resultant organopolysiloxane mixture, and the fraction having the unwanted boiling range is recirculated into the feed of organopolysiloxanes.

24. The process according to claim 13 ;

wherein a mixture of hexamethyldisiloxane, poly(methyl)hydrogensiloxane, and siloxane cyclics is utilized as starting material.