Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
  • C08F2/00—Processes of polymerisation
  • C08F2/38—Polymerisation using regulators, e.g. chain terminating agents, e.g. telomerisation
  • C08F2/42—Polymerisation using regulators, e.g. chain terminating agents, e.g. telomerisation using short-stopping agents

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a process for the immediate termination of free radical polymerizations. Once initiated, free radical polymerizations are usually highly exothermic, ie. take place with considerable evolution of heat, the heat of polymerization, unless removed, additionally accelerating the free radical polymerization.
• free radical polymerization inhibitors free radical acceptors, polymerization inhibitors
• their inhibiting effect must not be too pronounced since otherwise they would have to be separated off before subsequent use of the monomers for free radical polymerization purposes.
• free radical polymerization initiators can usually predominate over a moderately inhibiting effect, as possessed, for example, by the monomethyl ether of hydroquinone (MEHQ), and it is for this reason that MEHQ is a storage and/or transport stabilizer particularly frequently used for monomers.
• MEHQ monomethyl ether of hydroquinone
• (meth)acrylic monomers is to be understood here as meaning substances which comprise acrolein, methacrolein, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and/or esters of the two abovementioned acids.
• (meth)acrylic is generally used as an abbreviation for acrylic and/or methacrylic.
• this object is achieved by a process for immediately terminating free radical polymerizations by adding a phenothiazine-containing inhibitor solution to the system undergoing free radical polymerization, wherein the solvent of the inhibitor solution comprises at least 50% of its weight of an N-alkylpyrrolidone.
• the inhibitor solution to be added according to the invention containing phenothiazine contains a substantially more efficient and more broadly applicable free radical polymerization inhibitor
• inhibitor solutions based on N-alkylpyrrolidone are as a rule, on the one hand, miscible both with aqueous and with nonaqueous systems and, on the other hand, also subsequently readily separable from such systems;
• N-alkylpyrrolidones are inert to most substances. Furthermore, the boiling point of N-alkylpyrrolidones is above the boiling point of most monomers, facilitating subsequent separation from the monomers and permitting subsequent further use of the monomers. Moreover, the high boiling point of the N-alkylpyrrolidones prevents the formation of explosive vapor/oxygen mixtures in hot climatic zones. Furthermore, N-alkylpyrrolidones generally have a low melting point, which permits their use even in northern countries. Another advantage is the low flashpoint of N-alkylpyrrolidones and their low toxicity, if they are toxic at all.
• phenothiazine has high solubility in N-alkylpyrrolidone at room temperature (25° C.) is very particularly advantageous for the novel process. This permits the novel use of phenothiazine solutions having a high phenothiazine content without the risk of the phenothiazine being immediately partially or completely precipitated from the solution with a change of outdoor temperature.
• phenothiazine as such for immediately terminating free radical polymerizations is a disadvantage in that the low degree of division of the phenothiazine as such is not appropriate for the required immediate termination.
• N-alkylpyrrolidones preferred according to the invention are those with alkyl groups of 1 to 8 carbon atoms. Particularly preferred among these are the N-alkylpyrrolidones whose alkyl group is of 1 to 6 carbon atoms. Very particularly preferred N-alkylpyrrolidones are N-methylpyrrolidone and N-ethylpyrrolidone.
• the phenothiazine solution to be added according to the invention may also contain other solvents.
• Suitable solvents of this type are all those which are miscible with N-alkylpyrrolidones. Examples of such solvents are biphenyl, diphenyl ether, toluene, xylene, dimethyl phthalate, butyl acetate and 2-ethylhexyl acetate.
• N,N-dialkylcarboxamides whose alkyl groups are preferably of 1 to 8 carbon atoms are furthermore suitable as such other solvents. Particularly advantageous alkyl groups are methyl, ethyl and n-butyl.
• N,N-dialkylcarboxamides of C 1 -C 3 -alkanecarboxylic acids are also particularly advantageous.
• N,N-dialkylcarboxamides particularly advantageous according to the invention are N,N-dimethylformamide and N,N-dimethylacetamide.
• the solvent of the phenothiazine solution to be added according to the invention preferably comprises at least 75%, particularly preferably at least 85%, very particularly preferably at least 95%, based on the weight of said solvent, of N-alkylpyrrolidone.
• the solvent of the phenothiazine solution advantageously consists exclusively of N-alkylpyrrolidone, in particular exclusively of N-methylpyrrolidone or exclusively of N-ethylpyrrolidone.
• the inhibitor solution to be added according to the invention may also contain other polymerization inhibitors.
• these are hydroquinone, diphenylamine, p-phenylenediamines, nitroxyl radicals (compounds which have at least one >N—O— group), compounds which have a nitroso group, ie. a group —N ⁇ O, and hydroxylamines.
• Nitroxyl radicals which are particularly suitable according to the invention are those derived from a secondary amine which carries no hydrogen atoms on the ⁇ -carbon atoms (ie. the N-oxyl groups are derived from corresponding secondary amino groups). Particularly suitable among these are the N-oxyl radicals which are stated in EP-A 135280, the prior application DE-A 19651307, U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,912, U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,047, U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,429, DE-A 1618141, CN-A 1052847, U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,131, U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,960, the prior application DE-A 19602539, EP-A 765856 JP-A 5/320217.
• Such suitable, stable N-oxyl radicals derived from a second amine are, for example, those of the general formula I
• R 1 , R 2 , R 5 and R 6 are the same or different straight-chain or branched, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl groups and R 3 and R 4 are the same or different straight-chain or branched, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl groups or R 3 CNCR 4 is an unsubstituted or substituted, cyclic structure.
• R 1 , R 2 , R 5 and R 6 are (identical or different) C 1 -C 4 alkyl groups, such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl or tert-butyl, linear or branched pentyl, phenyl or a substituted group thereof and R 3 and R 4 are (identical or different) C 1 -C 4 alkyl groups, such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl or tert-butyl, linear or branched pentyl or a substituted group thereof or, together with CNC, are the cyclic structure
• n is an integer from 1 to 10 (frequently from 1 to 6) including substituted cyclic structures of this type.
• Typical examples are 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-oxylpiperidine, 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-oxylpyrrolidine and 4-oxo-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-oxylpiperdine.
• the N-oxyl radicals I can be prepared from the corresponding secondary amines by oxidation, for example with hydrogen peroxide. As a rule, they can be prepared as pure substance.
• N-oxyl radicals I suitable according to the invention include in particular piperidine- or pyrrolidine-N-oxyls and di-N-oxyls of the following general formulae II to IX;
• n 2 to 10
• R 7 , R 8 and R 9 independently of one another, are each
• M ⁇ is a hydrogen ion or an alkali metal ion
• q is an integer from 1 to 10
• R 1 , R 2 , R 5 , R 6 independently of one another, and independently of R 1 , R 2 , R 5 and R 6 , are the same groups as R 1 , R 10 is C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, —CH ⁇ CH 2 , —C ⁇ CH, —CN,
• R 11 is an organic radical which has at least one primary, secondary (eg. —NHR 1 ) or tertiary amino group (eg. —NR 1 R 2 ) or at least one ammonium group —N ⁇ R 14 R 15 R 16 X ⁇ , where X ⁇ is F ⁇ , Cl ⁇ , Br ⁇ , HSO 4 ⁇ , SO 4 2 ⁇ , H 2 PO 4 ⁇ , HPO 4 2 ⁇ or PO 4 3 ⁇ and R 14 , R 15 and R 16 are organic radicals independent of one another (eg.
• R 12 independently of one another and independently of R 1 , are the same groups as R 1 ), R 12 , independently of R 11 , is one of the same groups as R 11 or —H, —OH, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, —COO ⁇ M ⁇ , —C ⁇ CH,
• hydroxyl-substituted C 1 -C 4 -alkyl eg. hydroxyethyl or hydroxypropyl
• R 11 and R 12 together are the oxygen of a carbonyl group
• the compounds (VI) and (VII) can be obtained according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,185 (eg. Example 7) and DE-A 19510184.
• mixtures of an N-oxyl radical can of course also be used in addition to phenothiazine.
• Organic nitroso compounds suitable according to the invention are, for example, N-nitrosoarylamines or nitroso compounds having a nitroso group bonded directly to a carbon atom of an aromatic nucleus.
• nitrosophenols such as 4-nitrosophenol
• nitrosonaphthols such as 2-nitroso-1-naphthol
• nitrosobenzene N-nitroso-N-methylurea
• nitroso-N,N-dialkylanilines where alkyl is methyl, ethyl, propyl and/or butyl
• N-nitrosodiphenylamine N-nitrosophenylnaphthylamine, 4-nitrosodinaphthylamine and p-nitrosodiphenylamine.
• mixtures of the abovementioned nitroso compounds can of course also be used in addition to phenothiazine.
• p-Phenylenediamines suitable according to the invention are those of the general formula X
• R 16 , R 17 and R 18 independently of one another, are each alkyl, aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl or up to 20 carbon atoms or hydrogen.
• R 16 , R 17 and R 18 independently of one another, are each methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, n-butyl, pentyl, phenyl or naphthyl are particularly suitable.
• Examples of suitable compounds X are: N,N′-bis-sec-butyl-p-phenylenediamine, N-phenyl-N′-isopropylphenylenediamine, N-naphthyl-N′-sec-butyl-p-phenylenediamine, N,N,N′-trimethyl-p-phenylene-diamine, N,N,N′-triethyl-p-phenylenediamine, N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine, N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine, N-phenyl-N′,N′-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine, N-phenyl-N′,N′-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine, N-phenyl-N′,N′-dipropyl-p-phenylenediamine, N-phenyl-N′,N′-di-n-butyl
• mixtures of p-phenylenediamines may also be used in addition to phenothiazine.
• Particularly suitable mixtures of this type are the p-phenylenediamine mixtures recommended in WO 92/01665.
• Phenothiazine solutions which are preferred according to the invention are those whose total content of polymerization inhibitor comprises at least 50, particularly preferably at least 75, very particularly preferably at least 90, % by weight of phenothiazine. Particularly advantageously, no further polymerizatrion inhibitor apart from phenothiazine is present in the inhibitor solution to be added according to the invention.
• the content of phenothiazine in the inhibitor solutions to be used according to the invention is at least 10, preferably at least 20, particularly preferably at least 30, % by weight, based on the solution. Frequently, the phenothiazine content based on the solution is from 35 to 45% by weight.
• the phenothiazine content, based as above, of the solution to be added according to the invention will, for viscosity reasons alone, not be above 60% by weight.
• a solution of phenothiazine in methylpyrrolidone whose phenothiazine content is advantageously from 35 to 50, or from 40 to 50, % by weight, based on the solution, is preferred.
• the phenothiaziane content of the abovementioned solution is 45% by weight.
• the novel process is suitable for immediately terminating any type of free radical polymerizations, in particular those unintentional and/or runaway free radical polymerizations mentioned at the beginning of this publication.
• (meth)acrylic monomers include in particular the unintentional free radical polymerizations of those substances which comprise at least 95 or at least 98 or at least 99 or 100% by weight of (meth)acrylic monomers.
• Particularly suitable (meth)acrylic monomers are (meth)acrylic acid and esters or (meth)acrylic acid and monohydric or polyhydric alcohols. This applies in particular when the monohydric or polyhydric alkanols are of one to twenty carbon atoms or one to twelve carbon atoms or one to eight carbon atoms.
• esters are for example methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, isobutyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate and tert-butyl methacrylate.
• the phenothiazine solution to be added according to the invention is introduced via a spray nozzle in order to achieve a very rapid homogeneous distribution in the system undergoing free radical polymerization.
• the abovementioned homogenization can of course also be supported by circulation and/or stirring. However, such mechanical aids also give rise to the danger of acceleration of the polymerization since they simultaneously introduce energy into the system undergoing free radical polymerization.
• the phenothiazine solution to be introduced is advantageously contained in a suitable storage container.
• the total amount of phenothiazine added should be from about 0.01 to 3% by weight, based on the (meth)acrylic monomers. As a rule from 0.01 to 0.05, often 0.025, % by weight is sufficient.
• Example 2 The procedure was as in Example 1, except that the storage vessel contained only 10 ml of N-methylpyrrolidone.
• the valve control was triggered 81 hours after the 2-ethylhexyl acrylate had been introduced into the stirred vessel. Within 0.7 hour, the 2-ethylhexyl acrylate had polymerized to a high-viscosity material.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
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• Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)

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• 1997
  • 1997-10-29 US US08/960,356 patent/USH1957H1/en not_active Abandoned
• 1998
  • 1998-10-13 TW TW087116929A patent/TW446714B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation
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  • 1998-10-27 WO PCT/EP1998/006814 patent/WO1999021893A2/de active IP Right Grant
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