Epoxy Resin Glycidation With Epihalohydrin Extraction and Viscosity Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional processes for forming epoxy resin compositions from unconventional substrates, such as alcohols of biological origin and those present in resin recycle streams, face issues with insolubility and high viscosity, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to the need for additional purification steps and reactor downtime.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the use of epihalohydrin as a solvent for extraction and the addition of liquid epoxy resin to the product mixture to facilitate solubilization and reduce viscosity, allowing for efficient conversion of halohydrin reaction products to glycidyl ethers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional work-up process is applied to unconventional substrates, then the process can handle traditional substrates effectively, but the product mixture becomes insoluble and too viscous to be discharged or transferred
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a solvent as an intermediary substance to dissolve the product mixture formed during glycidation of unconventional substrates. The solvent acts as a mediator that enables the viscous, insoluble product mixture to be discharged from the reactor and transferred to subsequent processing stages, resolving the operational difficulty without affecting the glycidation reaction itself
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state parameters of the product mixture by adding solvent, transforming it from an insoluble, highly viscous state to a soluble, manageable state. This parameter change enables the product mixture to flow and be transferred, while the solvent is subsequently removed to restore the desired product properties
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If waste streams are purified by fractionation or depolymerization before glycidation, then the substrates can be separated, but the process complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the separation action during the glycidation reaction itself rather than before it. The solvent selectively dissolves the desired glycidyl ether product and unreacted substrate from the complex waste stream mixture during the reaction, enabling separation without requiring preliminary fractionation or depolymerization steps
Solution Approach 2:
The solvent serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a reaction medium for glycidation, a separation agent that selectively dissolves desired products from complex mixtures, and a viscosity reducer. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate purification steps, simplifying the overall process
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If waste streams are purified by fractionation or depolymerization, then substrates can be separated, but additional steps increase production cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the glycidation reaction with the separation function by using the solvent to selectively dissolve and separate desired products during the reaction itself. This combining of reaction and separation into a single operation eliminates multiple processing steps, reducing both capital and operating costs while maintaining effective substrate separation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the formation of epoxy resin compositions from unconventional substrates with reduced production costs and reactor downtime by improving work-up efficiencies and solubility, utilizing existing production facilities without retrofitting.
Implementation Method 1
reacting a mixture comprising a substrate comprising at least one hydroxyl group, an epihalohydrin, and a catalyst to form a first composition comprising a halohydrin reaction product
Implementation Method 2
introducing an alkaline reagent with the first composition to form a second composition comprising an epoxy resin product, a residual halohydrin reaction product, and a salt
Implementation Method 3
the product mixture is too viscous to be discharged or removed from the glycidation reactor and transferred to the reactor for performing the work-up process
Implementation Method 4
the resulting product mixture is, for example, insoluble in solvents used for the work-up process
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to processes for forming epoxy resin compositions and processes for separating substrates from complex mixtures. In an embodiment, a process for making an epoxy resin composition is provided and includes: reacting a mixture comprising a substrate, an epihalohydrin, and a catalyst to form a first composition comprising a halohydrin reaction product; introducing an alkaline reagent with the first composition to form a second composition comprising an epoxy resin product; introducing a liquid epoxy resin with the second composition to form a resin mixture; and removing unreacted epihalohydrin from the resin mixture to form the epoxy resin composition. In another embodiment, a process for separating a substrate from a substrate source is provided and includes: introducing an epihalohydrin with the substrate source comprising the substrate, the substrate comprising at least one hydroxyl group, and separating the epihalohydrin and the substrate from the substrate source.