IP Library Granted Patent US 9,593,168
Granted Patent B2
US 9,593,168 · App. 14/793,986 · Granted Mar 14, 2017

Process for degrading nitrile rubbers in the presence of catalysts having an increased activity

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,593,168
App. No.
14/793,986
Granted
Mar 14, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A process of degrading nitrile rubbers comprises subjecting them to a metathesis reaction in the presence of specific catalysts with increased activity.

Claims (56)

1. A process for degrading a nitrile rubber, the process comprising subjecting the nitrile rubber to a metathesis reaction in the presence of a catalyst of the general formula (I),

where

M is ruthenium or osmium,

Y is oxygen (O), sulphur (S), an N—R 1 radical or a P—R 1 radical,

X 1 and X 2 are identical or different ligands,

R 1 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, alkoxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, aryloxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylamino, alkylthio, arylthio, alkylsulphonyl or alkylsulphinyl radical, each of which may optionally be substituted by one or more alkyl, halogen, alkoxy, aryl or heteroaryl radicals,

R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are identical or different and are each hydrogen, organic or inorganic radicals,

R 6 is hydrogen or an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl or aryl radical, and

L is a ligand.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein L in the general formula (I) is a P(R 7 ) 3 radical, where the radicals R 7 are each, independently of one another, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 8 -cycloalkyl or aryl or a substituted or unsubstituted imidazolidine radical (“Im”).

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the imidazolidine radical (Im) has a structure of the general formula (IIa) or (IIb),

where

R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , R 11 are identical or different and are each hydrogen, straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, C 3 -C 20 -cycloalkyl, C 2 -C 20 -alkenyl, C 2 -C 20 -alkynyl, C 6 -C 24 -aryl, C 1 -C 20 -carboxylate, C 1 -C 20 -alkoxy, C 2 -C 20 -alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 20 -alkynyloxy, C 6 -C 20 -aryloxy, C 2 -C 20 -alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 20 -alkylthio, C 6 -C 20 -arylthio, C 1 -C 20 -alkylsulphonyl, C 1 -C 20 -alkylsulphonate, C 6 -C 20 -arylsulphonate or C 1 -C 20 -alkylsulphinyl.

4. The process according to claim 3 , wherein R 10 and R 11 in the imidazolidine radical (Im) are identical or different and are each straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 10 -alkyl, C 3 -C 10 -cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 24 -aryl, C 1 -C 10 -alkylsulphonate, or C 6 -C 10 -arylsulphonate.

5. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the imidazolidine radical (Im) has the structure (IIIa), (IIIb), (IIIc), (IIId), (IIIe) or (IIIf),

where Mes is in each case a 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl radical.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein X 1 and X 2 in the general formula (I) are identical or different and are each hydrogen, halogen, pseudohalogen, straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, C 6 -C 24 -aryl, C 1 -C 20 -alkoxy, C 6 -C 24 -aryloxy, C 3 -C 20 -alkyldiketonate, C 6 -C 24 -aryldiketonate, C 1 -C 20 -carboxylate, C 1 -C 20 -alkylsulphonate, C 6 -C 24 -arylsulphonate, C 1 -C 20 -alkylthiol, C 6 -C 24 -arylthiol, C 1 -C 20 -alkylsulphonyl or C 1 -C 20 -alkylsulphinyl.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein X 1 and X 2 in the general formula (I) are identical or different and are each halogen, benzoate, C 1 -C 5 -carboxylate, C 1 -C 5 -alkyl, phenoxy, C 1 -C 5 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 5 -alkylthiol, C 6 -C 24 -arylthiol, C 6 -C 24 -aryl or C 1 -C 5 -alkylsulphonate.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein X 1 and X 2 in the general formula (I) are identical and are each halogen, CF 3 COO, CH 3 COO, CFH 2 COO, (CH 3 ) 3 CO, (CF 3 ) 2 (CH 3 )CO, (CF 3 )(CH 3 ) 2 CO, PhO (phenoxy), MeO (methoxy), EtO (ethoxy), tosylate (p-CH 3 —C 6 H 4 —SO 3 ), mesylate (2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) or CF 3 SO 3 (trifluoromethanesulphonate).

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the radical R 1 in the general formula (I) is a C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, C 3 -C 20 -cycloalkyl, C 2 -C 20 -alkenyl, C 2 -C 20 -alkynyl, C 6 -C 24 -aryl, C 1 -C 20 -alkoxy, C 2 -C 20 -alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 20 -alkynyloxy, C 6 -C 24 -aryloxy, C 2 -C 20 -alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 20 -alkylamino, C 1 -C 20 -alkylthio, C 6 -C 24 -arylthio, C 1 -C 20 -alkylsulphonyl or C 1 -C 20 -alkylsulphinyl radical, each of which may optionally be substituted by one or more alkyl, halogen, alkoxy, aryl or heteroaryl radicals.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the radicals R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 in the general formula (I) are identical or different and are each hydrogen, halogen, nitro, CF 3 or a C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, C 3 -C 30 -cycloalkyl, C 2 -C 20 -alkenyl, C 2 -C 20 -alkynyl, C 6 -C 24 -aryl, C 1 -C 20 -alkoxy, C 2 -C 20 -alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 20 -alkynyloxy, C 6 -C 24 -aryloxy, C 2 -C 20 -alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 20 -alkylamino, C 1 -C 20 -alkylthio, C 6 -C 24 -arylthio, C 1 -C 20 -alkylsulphonyl or C 1 -C 20 -alkylsulphinyl radical, each of which may optionally be substituted by one or more C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, C 1 -C 20 -alkoxy, halogen, C 6 -C 24 -aryl or heteroaryl radicals.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the radical R 6 is hydrogen, a C 1 -C 30 -alkyl radical, a C 2 -C 20 -alkenyl radical, a C 2 -C 20 -alkynyl radical or a C 6 -C 24 -aryl radical.

12. The process according to claim 3 , wherein R 10 and R 11 in the imidazolidine radical (Im) are identical or different and are each one of:

straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 10 -alkyl;

straight-chain or branched C 3 -C 10 -cycloalkyl;

straight-chain or branched C 6 -C 24 -aryl;

straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 10 -alkylsulphonate; and

straight-chain or branched C 6 -C 10 -arylsulphonate.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein;

an amount of catalyst used is 5 to 1000 ppm based on the nitrile rubber used;

the nitrile rubber comprises polymers of repeating units of at least one conjugated diene, at least one α,β-unsaturated nitrile, and one or more further copolymerizable monomers;

the nitrile rubbers have a Mooney viscosity (ML 1+4 at 100° C.) of 30 to 70;

the metathesis is carried out without a coolefin or in the presence of a coolefin selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, isobutene, styrene, 1-hexene or 1-octene; and

the degraded nitrile rubber is subsequently subjected to a hydrogenation in situ.

14. A process for degrading a nitrile rubber, the process comprising subjecting the nitrile rubber to a metathesis reaction in the presence of a catalyst of the general formula (IV)

where:

M is ruthenium or osmium,

L is a first ligand,

X 1 and X 2 are identical or different second ligands,

R 1 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, alkoxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, aryloxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylamino, alkylthio, arylthio, alkylsulphonyl or alkylsulphinyl radical, each of which may optionally be substituted by one or more alkyl, halogen, alkoxy, aryl or heteroaryl radicals, and

R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 are identical or different and are each hydrogen, organic or inorganic radicals.

15. The process according to claim 14 , wherein R 3 is organic other than —SO 2 N(CH 3 ) 2 .

16. The process according to claim 14 , wherein R 3 is hydrogen, halogen, nitro, CF 3 , alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, alkoxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, aryloxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylamino, alkylthio, arylthio, alkylsulphonyl or alkylsulphinyl, each of which may optionally be substituted by one or more alkyl, alkoxy, halogen, aryl or heteroaryl radicals.

17. The process according to claim 14 , wherein R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 are identical or different and are each hydrogen, halogen, nitro, CF 3 , C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, C 3 -C 20 -cycloalkyl, C 2 -C 20 -alkenyl, C 2 -C 20 -alkynyl, C 6 -C 24 -aryl, C 1 -C 20 -alkoxy, C 2 -C 20 -alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 20 -alkynyloxy, C 6 -C 24 -aryloxy, C 2 -C 20 -alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 20 -alkylamino, C 1 -C 20 -alkylthio, C 6 -C 24 -arylthio, C 1 -C 20 -alkylsulphonyl or C 1 -C 20 -alkylsulphinyl, each of which may optionally be substituted by one or more C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, C 1 -C 20 -alkoxy, halogen, C 6 -C 24 -aryl or heteroaryl radicals.

18. A process for degrading a nitrile rubber, the process comprising subjecting the nitrile rubber to a metathesis reaction in the presence of a catalyst of the general formula (XVI),

where D 1 , D 2 , D 3 , and D 4 each have a structure of the general formula (XVII) which is bound via a methylene group to the silicon of the formula (XVI),

where:

L is a first ligand,

X 1 and X 2 are identical or different second ligands,

M is ruthenium or osmium,

Y is oxygen (O), sulphur (S), an N—R 1 radical or a P—R 1 radical,

R 1 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, alkoxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, aryloxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylamino, alkylthio, arylthio, alkylsulphonyl or alkylsulphinyl radical, each of which may optionally be substituted by one or more alkyl, halogen, alkoxy, aryl or heteroaryl radicals,

R 2 , R 3 , R 5 are identical or different and are each hydrogen, organic or inorganic radicals, and

R 6 is hydrogen or an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl or aryl radical.

19. The process according to claim 18 , wherein R 3 is organic other than —SO 2 N(CH 3 ) 2 .

20. The process according to claim 18 , wherein R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 are identical or different and are each hydrogen, halogen, nitro, CF 3 , alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, alkoxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, aryloxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylamino, alkylthio, arylthio, alkylsulphonyl or alkylsulphinyl, each of which may optionally be substituted by one or more alkyl, alkoxy, halogen, aryl or heteroaryl radicals.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 19, 2016
From: LANXESS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
To: ARLANXEO DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
Reel/Frame 039753/0760 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 22, 2015
From: OBRECHT, WERNER; ONG, CHRISTOPHER; MUELLER, JULIA MARIA; NUYKEN, OSKAR
To: LANXESS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
Reel/Frame 036857/0805 →