Polyalkylene ether glycol composition and method for producing same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing polyalkylene ether glycols face issues with thermal stability and acetal value reduction, as they are prone to decomposition and catalyst degradation, leading to inefficient hydrogenation processes.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a nitrogen-containing compound with specific structural and concentration ranges into the polyalkylene ether glycol composition to prevent catalyst degradation and improve thermal stability, thereby enhancing the hydrogenation process and reducing acetal values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a polyalkylene ether glycol is subjected to known purification techniques to remove impurities, then the purity of the glycol is improved, but trace amounts of acid components or peroxides remain that cause acid-catalyzed reactions and radical cleavage, converting the polyalkylene ether glycol into cyclic ethers and reducing thermal stability
Solution Approach 1:
A nitrogen-containing compound is introduced as an intermediary substance that selectively reacts with trace acid components and peroxides in the polyalkylene ether glycol. This mediator prevents these impurities from causing harmful acid-catalyzed reactions and radical cleavage, thereby protecting the thermal stability of the glycol while maintaining high purity levels.
2Illumination intensity
If a heterogeneous catalyst is used for hydrogenation to improve the hue of PTMG, then the coloring substances are decomposed and removed, but the catalyst degrades and loses effectiveness, reducing the efficiency of acetal value reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The nitrogen-containing compound serves as a protective intermediary that prevents catalyst degradation during hydrogenation. It forms a protective environment around the heterogeneous catalyst, preventing deactivation while allowing the catalyst to efficiently decompose acetal substances and improve the hue of PTMG throughout the reaction process.
Solution Approach 2:
The nitrogen-containing compound enables the catalyst to maintain its activity autonomously throughout the hydrogenation process. By preventing catalyst degradation, the system becomes self-sustaining, with the catalyst continuously performing its function of reducing acetal values and improving hue without requiring external intervention or replacement.
3Reliability
If the concentration of nitrogen-containing compound is increased to improve catalyst stability, then catalyst life and thermal stability are improved, but excessive nitrogen compound may cause unwanted side reactions or affect the purity of the final product
Solution Approach 1:
The concentration of the nitrogen-containing compound is precisely controlled within an optimized range. This parameter optimization ensures sufficient protection of catalyst stability and thermal stability while preventing excessive nitrogen compound from causing unwanted side reactions or compromising the purity of the final polyalkylene ether glycol product.
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
The use of nitrogen-containing compounds significantly improves the thermal stability and catalyst life during hydrogenation, efficiently reducing acetal values and preventing the formation of cyclic ethers, resulting in a more stable and effective polyalkylene ether glycol composition.
Implementation Method 1
a nitrogen-containing compound with a specific structure, which has been considered to cause catalyst degradation, in a specific concentration range can prevent catalyst degradation during hydrogenolysis of an acetal
Implementation Method 2
a trace amount of acid component or peroxide that cannot be removed by known purification techniques in a polyalkylene ether glycol causes an acid-catalyzed reaction or radical cleavage to convert part of the polyalkylene ether glycol into a cyclic ether
Implementation Method 3
an acetal, which is a substance responsible for coloring, is decomposed and removed by hydrogenation
Data Source
AI summary
A polyalkylene ether glycol composition containing a nitrogen-containing compound, wherein the nitrogen-containing compound constitutes 0.2 to 40 mass ppm of the polyalkylene ether glycol in terms of nitrogen atoms. A method for producing the polyalkylene ether glycol composition through a purification step of decreasing the amount of acetal in the polyalkylene ether glycol composition.