Process for producing acetoxy-bearing siloxanes

1. A process for producing acidic, a superacidic, or a trifluoromethanesulfonic acid-acidified, end-equilibrated, acetoxy-bearing siloxane, wherein the process comprises

reacting cyclic siloxanes comprising D 4 and/or D 5 ,

and/or mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type,

optionally in admixture with hydroxyl-bearing siloxanes and/or acetoxy- and/or alkoxy-bearing silanes and/or siloxanes,

with acetic anhydride using the acid, superacid, or trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, as catalyst and with addition of acetic acid,

wherein the cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type are mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type, which contain not only siloxanes comprising D and T units but optionally also siloxanes comprising Q units with the proviso that in these mixtures the proportion of Si atoms derived from Q units is ≤10% by mass to ≥0% by mass, based on the entirety of all Si atoms, wherein if no mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type which contain siloxanes comprising Q units are employed.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the acids employed in addition to acetic acid are superacids having a pK a of less than −3.0.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein diacetoxydimethylsilane and/or triacetoxymethylsilane are employed as acetoxy-bearing silanes.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein triethoxysilane and/or trimethoxysilane and/or diethoxysilane and/or triethoxysilane are employed as alkoxy-bearing silanes.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process comprises adding acetic acid in amounts of from 0.4 to 3.5 percent by weight based on the reaction matrix

comprising acetic anhydride and cyclic siloxanes comprising D 4 and/or D 5 , or comprising acetic anhydride and mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type, or

comprising cyclic siloxanes comprising D 4 and/or D 5 and mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type which consist of siloxanes comprising D and T units and whose 29 Si NMR spectroscopy-determinable cumulative proportion of D and T units comprising Si-alkoxy and/or SiOH groups present in the siloxane matrix is ≤2 mole percent, and which contain at least 5 percent by weight of siloxane cycles, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D 4 ), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D 5 ) and/or mixtures thereof, are employed.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes comprising D and T units whose 29 Si NMR spectroscopy-determinable cumulative proportion of D and T units comprising Si-alkoxy and/or SiOH groups present in the siloxane matrix is greater than 2 and less than 10 mole percent.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, in addition to the acetic acid, acid, superacid, or trifluoromethanesulfonic acid is employed in amounts of from 0.1 to 1.0 percent by mass, based on the reaction matrix comprising acetic anhydride and cyclic siloxanes, in particular comprising D 4 and/or D 5 , and/or mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction is carried out in a temperature range of from 140° C. to 160° C. and over a duration of from 4 to 8 hours.

10. The process according to claim 1 , excluding the sole use of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid and the sole use of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid and acetic acid as acid(s).

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the acids employed in addition to acetic acid are selected from the group consisting of fluorinated and/or perfluorinated sulfonic acids, fluorosulfonic acid HSO 3 F, fluoroantimonic acid HSbF 6 , and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid C 4 F 9 SO 3 H.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the acids employed in addition to acetic acid is trifluoromethanesulfonic acid CF 3 SO 3 H.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process comprises adding acetic acid in amounts of from 0.5 to 3 percent by weight, based on the reaction matrix comprising acetic anhydride and cyclic siloxanes comprising D 4 and/or D 5 , or comprising acetic anhydride and mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type, or comprising cyclic siloxanes comprising D 4 and/or D 5 and mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process comprises adding acetic acid in amounts of from 1.0 to 1.5 percent by weight, based on the reaction matrix comprising acetic anhydride and cyclic siloxanes comprising D 4 and/or D 5 , or comprising acetic anhydride and mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type, or comprising cyclic siloxanes comprising D4 and/or D 5 and mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type.

15. The process according to claim 1 , wherein mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type which consist of siloxanes comprising D and T units and whose 29 Si NMR spectroscopy-determinable cumulative proportion of D and T units comprising Si-alkoxy and/or SiOH groups present in the siloxane matrix is ≤1 mole percent, and which contain at least 5 percent by weight of siloxane cycles, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D 5 ) and/or mixtures thereof, are employed.

16. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said acetic anhydride using the acid, superacid, or trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, as catalyst and with addition of acetic acid is employed in amounts of from 0.1 to 1.3 percent by mass, based on the reaction matrix comprising acetic anhydride and cyclic siloxanes, in particular comprising D 4 and/or D 5 , and/or mixtures of cyclic branched siloxanes of the D/T type.