Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing stable, uniform dispersions of chain extenders in polyurethane-forming polyol. The preferred chain extender is hydroquinone di(.beta.-hydroxyethyl)ether. The process comprises an adiabatic quenching step in combination with an annealing step. The inventive process avoids the need for slow, carefully controlled cooling schemes.

Abstract: The present invention provides containers having improved resistance to gas permeability. The containers are formed from a polyester resin which comprises the reaction product of a diol containing up to about 8 carbon atoms and a diacid component which comprises about 5 to 100 mole percent of a first diacid selected from 1,4-phenylenedioxy diacetic acid, 1,3-phenylenedioxy diacetic acid, 1,2-phenylenedioxy diacetic acid, and mixtures thereof, and 0 to about 95 mole percent of terephthalic acid. The polyester resin has an inherent viscosity of about 0.5 to 1.5. The containers which are provided by the present invention may be in the form of sheet, film, molded articles, such as bottles, and other such structures.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement in methods for preparing and processing ethylenically unsaturated aromatic monomer. The improvement comprises employing 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid or a derivative or isomer thereof as a process inhibitor. The process inhibitor is present in a concentration of about 50 to 3000 ppm, preferably about 250 to 2,000 ppm, and most preferably about 500 to 1,000 ppm.

Abstract: The present invention provides containers having improved resistance to gas permeability. The containers are formed from a polyester resin which comprises the reaction product of a diol containing up to about 8 carbon atoms and a diacid component which comprises terephthalic acid and a second diacid selected from iminodiacetic acid, oxydiacetic acid, thiodiacetic acid, and mixtures thereof. The second diacid is present in a concentration of about 1 to 50 mole percent, based upon the total amount of diacid. The polyester resin has an inherent viscosity of about 0.5 to 1.5. A preferred polyester is that derived from ethylene glycol, terephthalic acid, and oxydiacetic acid. The containers which are provided by the present invention may be in the form of sheet, film, molded articles, such as bottles, and other such structures.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the production of high purity methyl acetate from methanol and glacial acetic acid wherein the acetic acid functions both as a reactant and as an extractive agent. The process comprises countercurrently flowing approximately stoichiometric quantities of acetic acid and methanol through a single reactive distillation column in the presence of an acidic catalyst which is preferably sulfuric acid. The column provides intimate contact between the acetic acid and the methanol and between the acetic acid and the azeotropes (methyl acetate/water and methyl acetate/methanol) which are formed in the column. At preferred catalyst concentrations, the residence time in the column is at least about two hours. The process further comprises continuously removing high purity methyl acetate from the top of the column and continuously removing water from the bottom of the column.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel coating composition which contains a coalescent. The coating composition comprises a latex of a normally solid organic addition polymer and a coalescing amount of an ether-ester solvent having the formula ##STR1## where R represents hydrogen or an alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R' represents a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group, and n is 1 or 2. Preferred coalescents include 2-ethoxyethyl p-toluate, 2-ethoxyethyl benzoate, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl p-toluate, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)-ethyl benzoate, 2-propoxyethyl o-toluate, 2-propoxyethyl benzoate, 2-ethoxyethyl o-toluate, and mixtures thereof. In preferred embodiments, the organic addition polymer comprises an acrylic homopolymer or copolymer. The coating composition preferably comprises about 5-50 parts by weight of the ether-ester solvent per 100 parts of the organic addition polymer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the recovery of rhodium, lithium, and iodine values from tar which is generated during carbonylation reactions. The process comprises sequentially extracting the tar with water and then leaching the remaining tar with acetic acid, burning the resulting residue, and recycling the resulting rhodium-enriched residue to the reaction process. Preferably, the process further comprises the recovery of iodine values by the incineration of the acetic acid leachate and treatment of the off-gas with aqueous alkali hydroxide. Lithium values are recovered by evaporating water from the aqueous phase of the water extraction step and recycling the resulting residue to the reaction process.

Abstract: The present invention provides containers having improved resistance to gas permeability. The containers are formed from a polyester resin which comprises the reaction product of a diol containing up to about 8 carbon atoms and a diacid component which comprises about 5 to 60 mole percent of a first diacid selected from [thiobis(p-phenyleneoxy)]diacetic acid, [sulfonylbis(p-phenyleneoxy)]diacetic acid, and mixtures thereof, and about 40 to 95 mole percent of terephthalic acid. The polyester resin has an inherent viscosity of about 0.5 to 1.5. The containers which are provided by the present invention may be in the form of sheet, film, molded articles, such as bottles, and other such structures.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel multilayer packaging materials having improved resistance to gas permeability. The present invention also provides containers which are formed from the novel packaging material. The multilayer packaing material comprises at least one film comprising polyglycolic acid and at least one film formed from a polyester comprising units derived from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol. The containers which are provided by the present invention may be in the form of sheet, film, molded articles, such as bottles, and other such structures.

Abstract: The present invention provides a relatively low molecular weight polymer comprising units derived from an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid and units derived from octadienol. The polymer exhibits a fluid viscosity of at least about 200 cp when measured in the neat state at room temperature using a Brookfield viscosimeter. The unsaturated dicarboxylic acids from which the polymer units are derived include fumaric acid, maleic acid, and mixtures thereof. The octadienol from which the polymer units are derived commonly comprises a mixture of 2,7-octadien-1-ol and 1,7-octadien-3-ol. Preferably, the polymer exhibits a fluid viscosity of about 700-900 cp. The process for preparing the polymer comprises reacting octadienol with an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid selected from fumaric acid, maleic acid, lower alkyl diesters of said acid, and mixtures thereof in the presence of an esterification catalyst. Preferably, the esterification catalyst comprises dibutyltin oxide and is present in an amount of about 0.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the preparation of low molecular weight polyesters directly from hydroxypivaldehyde. The process comprises reacting dry hydroxypivaldehyde with a diester, a multifunctional ester, a diacid, a polyester, or a mixture thereof at a temperature of about 100.degree. C. to 230.degree. C. in the presence of a transesterification catalyst. Optionally, modifying glycols, triols, or polyols may also be added. Suitable catalysts include tetraisopropyl titanate, dibutyltin oxide, lithium hydroxide, and lithium alkoxide, with tetraisopropyl titanate being especially preferred. The reaction is preferably accomplished in two stages by heating the reaction mixture to about 130.degree. C. for about three hours and subsequently heating the reaction mixture to about 190.degree.-230.degree. C. until the reaction is essentially complete.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel linear amorphous aromatic polyester comprising units derived from (i) terephthalic acid, (ii) 1,2-propanediol or mixtures of 1,2-propanediol with up to 20 mole percent of ethylene glycol, based upon the total of 1,2-propanediol and ethylene glycol, and (iii) about 5 to 30 mole percent, based upon the total of (i), (ii), and (iii), of a glycol which contains a tertiary amine group, the amine containing glycol having a specified structure and the polyester having an inherent viscosity of about 0.05 to 0.5 dl/g when measured in 60:40 phenol:tetrachloroethane at a concentration of 0.5 g/100 ml at 25.degree. C. The novel polyester is useful as a crosslinking resin and as a photoinitiator for UV curable coating and ink compositions.Also provided is a specified ultraviolet radiation curable coating composition. The composition comprises a mixture ofA. about 4.5 to 49.5% by weight of the novel amine-modified polyester described above;B.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process whereby by-product isophthalic acid is easily removed from terephthalic acid. The process thus provides a terephthalic acid product of improved purity. The process involves cooling at least a portion of a hot acetic acid production stream from which precipitated terephthalic acid has been removed so as to precipitate at least a portion of the isophthalic acid dissolved therein. The precipitated isophthalic acid is then removed and the production stream is recycled to a reactor from the production of terephthalic acid. The total production stream is thereby rendered unsaturated in isophthalic acid. Following the reaction in the terephthalic acid reactor, pure terephthalic acid in the substantial absence of isophthalic acid is recovered from the production stream as a precipitate. In a preferred embodiment, the cooling step involves cooling about 15 to 75%, and, at times, perhaps up to 100%, of the total hot acetic acid production stream to a temperature below about 50.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the preparation of acetaldehyde from hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methanol. The process comprises conducting the reaction in the presence of a catalyst system comprising cobalt, platinum, and iodide. The cobalt catalyst component is present in a concentration of about 0.01 to 1 weight percent, the platinum catalyst component is present in a concentration of about 0.03 to 3 weight percent, and the iodide catalyst component is present in a concentration of about 0.1 to 40 weight percent, as defined herein. The weight ratio of cobalt to platinum is about 1:0.3 to 1:35. The process is preferably conducted at a temperature of 160.degree.-230.degree. C. and a pressure of 10,000-70,000 kPa.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement in methods for preparing and processing ethylenically unsaturated aromatic monomer. The improvement comprises employing 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid as a process inhibitor. The DNSA is present in a concentration of about 50 to 3000 ppm, preferably about 250 to 2000 ppm, and most preferably about 500 to 1000 ppm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the preparation of aryl alkyl sulfones and aryl vinyl sulfones. The process comprises reacting an aryl compound with an alkyl sulfonyl fluoride or with a vinyl sulfonyl fluoride in the presence of a catalyst selected from AlCl.sub.3 and AlBr.sub.3. The aryl compound is preferably selected from chlorobenzene, the isomeric xylenes, the isomeric trimethyl benzenes, and mixtures thereof. The alkyl group of the alkyl sulfonyl fluoride preferably contains 1-18 carbon atoms, and the vinyl group of the vinyl sulfonyl fluoride is unsubstituted or substituted with one or more alkyl groups containing 1-5 carbon atoms. The reaction is conducted at a temperature between about -25.degree. C. and 150.degree. C. in the presence or absence of an inert solvent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a relatively low molecular weight polymer comprising units derived from an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid and units derived from octadienol. The polymer exhibits a fluid viscosity of at least about 200 cp when measured in the neat state at room temperature using a Brookfield viscosimeter. The unsaturated dicarboxylic acids from which the polymer units are derived include fumaric acid, maleic acid, and mixtures thereof. The octadienol from which the polymer units are derived commonly comprises a mixture of 2,7-octadien-1-ol and 1,7-octadien-3-ol. Preferably, the polymer exhibits a fluid viscosity of about 700-900 cp. The process for preparing the polymer comprises reacting octadienol with an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid selected from fumaric acid, maleic acid, lower alkyl diesters of said acid, and mixtures thereof in the presence of an esterification catalyst. Preferably, the esterification catalyst comprises dibutyltin oxide and is present in an amount of about 0.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and glycerine by a selective electrolysis that cleaves the carbon-carbon bonds of carbohydrate-derived polyols into two- and three-carbon units. The intermediate products can then be reduced to the desired ethylene glycol and glycerine products using standard reduction technology. The electrolysis is conducted in the presence of an electrolysis medium which contains manganese.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel linear amorphous aromatic polyester comprising units derived from (i) terephthalic acid, (ii) 1,2-propanediol or mixtures of 1,2-propanediol with up to 20 mole percent of ethylene glycol, based upon the total of 1,2-propanediol and ethylene glycol, and (iii) about 5 to 30 mole percent, based upon the total of (i), (ii), and (iii), of a glycol which contains a tertiary amine group, the amine containing glycol having a specified structure and the polyester having an inherent viscosity of about 0.05 to 0.5 dl/g when measured in 60:40 phenol:tetrachloroethane at a concentration of 0.5 g/100 ml at 25.degree. C. The novel polyester is useful as a crosslinking resin and as a photoinitiator for UV curable coating and ink compositions.Also provided is a specified ultraviolet radiation curable coating composition. The composition comprises a mixture ofA. about 4.5 to 49.5% by weight of the novel amine-modified polyester described above;B.

Abstract: Process for the preparation of ethylidene diacetate by hydrogenating acetic anhydride in the presence of a heterogeneous palladium catalyst and a silica-alumina material.