Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07C—ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
  • C07C67/00—Preparation of carboxylic acid esters
  • C07C67/08—Preparation of carboxylic acid esters by reacting carboxylic acids or symmetrical anhydrides with the hydroxy or O-metal group of organic compounds

Definitions

• the invention relates to a process for the preparation of ester plasticizers from di- or polycarboxylic acids or their anhydrides and alcohols by reacting the starting compounds in the presence of metal catalysts.
• Plasticizers are used on a large scale and in many different ways in plastics, coating materials, sealants, rubber and rubber articles. They kick
• thermoplastic material without reacting chemically, preferably through their solvent and swelling properties in physical interaction. This forms a homogeneous system, the thermoplastic area of which compared to the original polymer
• plasticizers In order to open up the broadest possible areas of application to plasticizers, they have to meet a number of requirements. Ideally, they should be odorless, fabulous, light, cold and heat resistant. Furthermore, they are expected to be water-resistant, flame-retardant, and non-volatile and not harmful to health. Furthermore, the manufacture of the plasticizers should be simple and, in order to meet ecological requirements, be carried out with the avoidance of waste materials, such as by-products which cannot be used further and waste water containing pollutants.
• the most important plasticizers include the esters of di- and polycarboxylic acids with plasticizer alcohols, ie branched or branched primary alcohols with about 6 to 13 carbon atoms, which are used as individual compounds or as a mixture.
• the esters were prepared by the classic process by reacting the acids or acid anhydrides with an alcohol or a mixture of different alcohols in the presence of an acid, preferably sulfuric acid, as catalyst.
• the alcohol component is usually used in excess. Impairment of the color and smell of the reaction product was sought to be counteracted by the targeted selection of the acid used as the catalyst, by mild reaction conditions and by complex cleaning measures.
• esters suitable as plasticizers was further developed through the use of metal-containing esterification catalysts.
• Suitable are e.g. Tin, titanium, zirconium, which are used as finely divided metals or expediently in the form of their salts, oxides or soluble organic compounds.
• These catalysts are high-temperature catalysts, they only reach their full activity at esterification temperatures above 180 ° C.
• Exemplary representatives are tin powder, tin (II) oxide, tin (II) oxalate, titanium acid esters such as tetraisopropyl orthotitanate or tetrabutyl orthotitanate and zirconium esters such as tetrabutyl zirconate.
• EP-A-0 424 767 also discloses a process for the esterification of phthalic anhydride with isodecanol in the presence of tetrabutyl titanate as a catalyst at 230 ° C. Following the esterification, the reaction mixture treated with soda solution and the excess alcohol was distilled off. Treatment with the soda solution neutralizes the phthalic acid half-esters present in the reaction mixture to form the corresponding salts. These salts are obtained as a slimy precipitate which can only be filtered off with difficulty and with great expenditure of time and equipment. Obtaining the desired phthalic acid diester in pure form is therefore associated with increased difficulties.
• the object was therefore to improve the known processes and to optimize the process by coordinating and simplifying the successive substeps of the entire process and to simplify the extraction of the reaction product in high quality, so that this reaction product can be used in as many different ways as possible.
• the invention consists in a process for the preparation of ester plasticizers by reacting di- or polycarboxylic acids or their anhydrides with alcohols in the presence of a catalyst containing titanium, zirconium or tin. It is characterized in that a mixture of acid or acid anhydride and alcohol is initially allowed to react with one another at 100 to 160 ° C. with the removal of any water which may be formed, the reaction with the addition of the catalyst and by increasing the temperature to about 250 ° C, the reaction mixture is neutralized with an aqueous alkali or alkaline earth metal hydroxide solution, then the excess separated from alcohol and the remaining crude ester dried and filtered.
• the new process is characterized by great reliability when it is implemented in technical systems. It is also easy to carry out continuously and provides plasticizers of high purity. Particularly noteworthy is the problem-free and complete separation of the half-ester formed as a by-product during the reaction, 10 of the catalyst contained in the reaction mixture and the reagents used for neutralization. The complete removal of these by-products and additives results among other things. in the excellent color properties such as the remarkable color stability of the process products. Also to be emphasized is their extremely low conductivity, which opens up a wide range of applications for plastics in the field of cable insulation.
• Acids suitable as starting materials for the process according to the invention are aliphatic and aromatic di- and polycarboxylic acids.
• the aliphatic carboxylic acids can be saturated or unsaturated and contain at least four carbon atoms. Examples of such compounds are succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, suberic acid, azelaic acid, maleic acid and fumaric acid.
• Aromatic carboxylic acids include phthalic acid and trimellitic acid. The acids can be used both in pure form and in the form of mixtures. Instead of the acids, their anhydrides can also be used successfully.
• Alcohols Straight or branched-chain saturated aliphatic compounds with more than 6 carbon atoms in the molecule are used in particular as alcohols. They mostly contain a primary hydroxyl group, but secondary alcohols are also not reactants of the acids locked out. Examples of representatives of this class of compounds are n-octanol (1), n-octanol (2), 2-ethyl-hexanol (1), n-nonyl alcohol, decyl alcohol and the so-called oxo alcohols, ie mixtures of straight and branched chains Alcohols of corresponding molecular size, which are obtained by oxo reaction from olefins and subsequent hydrogenation. The alcohols can also be used as pure compounds or as mixtures of structurally isomeric compounds or compounds of different molecular sizes.
• the new procedure has proven particularly useful for the production of esters of phthalic acid with C 3 -C 12 -alcohols and among them in particular for the production of di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate.
• the new process used as esterification catalysts is titanium, zirconium or tin as metals in finely divided form or, preferably, as compounds. Suitable compounds are tin (II) oxide,
• the amount of catalyst used can extend over a wide range. Both 0.01% by weight and more than 5% by weight of catalyst, based on the reaction mixture, can be used. However, since larger amounts of catalyst give hardly any advantages, the catalyst concentration is usually 0.01 to 1.0, preferably 0.01 to 0.5% by weight, based in each case on the reaction mixture.
• esterification can be carried out with stoichiometric amounts of alcohol and acid, especially if entraining agents are used to remove the water of reaction, the use of a is preferred stoichiometric excess of the alcohol from 0.05 to 0.6 mol per mol of di- or polycarboxylic acid or acid anhydride in order to achieve the most complete possible conversion of the acid.
• the esterification is carried out in two stages.
• the first stage the half-ester of dicarboxylic acid is formed without the addition of a catalyst.
• the temperatures to be observed largely depend on the feed materials. Satisfactory reaction rates are achieved from about 100 ° C and preferably from 120 ° C. It is possible to complete the half ester formation at these temperatures. However, it is more advantageous to continuously raise the temperature up to about 160 ° C.
• carboxylic acids instead of carboxylic anhydrides
• the water formed is discharged as an azeotrope with the alcohol from the reaction system, provided the reaction temperature is above the boiling point of the azeotrope (i.e.
• Polycarboxylic acids accomplished. It takes place in the presence of the catalysts described above at temperatures which are above those observed in the first stage and range up to about 250.degree. This temperature is a guideline that is appropriately observed. Lower temperatures can be sufficient, for example, if in a special case a sufficiently high reaction rate is achieved or only partial sales are aimed for. Higher temperatures can be maintained if the occurrence of decomposition products, which can damage the color, can be excluded. It is advantageous to work at the boiling point of the alcohol used.
• the reaction can be carried out in a separate reactor or in the reaction vessel of the first stage. Water formed during the reaction is removed as an azeotrope, with the alcohol playing the role of
• Towing agent takes over. In this reaction stage, too, it is advisable to mix the reactor contents at least from time to time in order to compensate for differences in concentration and to accelerate the removal of the water of reaction.
• the reaction mixture contains, in addition to the desired reaction product, the di- or polyester, in particular partially esterified di- or polycarboxylic acids, excess alcohol and the catalyst.
• the reactor discharge is first neutralized with alkali or alkaline earth hydroxide.
• the alkaline reagent is used as an aqueous solution which contains 5 to 20, preferably 10 to 15% by weight of the hydroxide, based on the solution.
• the amount of neutralizing agent to be added depends on the proportion of acidic components, free acid and half esters in the crude product. This proportion is determined in the form of the acid number (according to DIN 53169).
• the alkaline reagent is added in an excess which corresponds to two to four times the amount which is required stoichiometrically in order to neutralize the H ions present.
• the catalyst is largely decomposed into products that are also easy to filter.
• the alkaline treatment of the raw ester is not tied to the maintenance of certain temperatures. It is expediently carried out immediately after the esterification step without prior cooling of the reaction mixture.
• Salt that is crystalline and can be filtered off without difficulty.
• Hydrolysis products are converted.
• a large-area adsorbent e.g. Activated carbon
• the removal of the free alcohol is followed by the drying of the ester.
• an inert gas is passed through the product.
• the crude ester is then filtered to separate it from the solids Salts from (optionally partially esterified) carboxylic acids, hydrolysis products of the catalyst and the adsorbent. Filtration is carried out in conventional filter apparatus at normal temperature or at temperatures up to 150 ° C. The filtration can be supported by common filter aids such as cellulose, silica gel, diatomaceous earth, wood flour. However, their use is limited to exceptional cases.
• the process according to the invention drastically reduces the time for separating the solids contained in the crude ester to values which ensure its economical implementation on an industrial scale and avoids the formation in terms of quantity and composition of ecologically questionable wastewater.
• esters obtained after the claimed process are of excellent quality, which also meets high demands in every respect.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
• Low-Molecular Organic Synthesis Reactions Using Catalysts (AREA)
• Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)
• Polyesters Or Polycarbonates (AREA)

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• 1997
  • 1997-05-22 DE DE19721347A patent/DE19721347B9/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1998
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  • 1998-05-16 AU AU77661/98A patent/AU736462B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-05-16 EP EP98925609A patent/EP0984917B1/de not_active Revoked
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