Patents by Inventor Klaus Kurz

Klaus Kurz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240124704
    Abstract: A polyoxymethylene polymer composition is disclosed containing a formaldehyde stabilizer package. The formaldehyde stabilizer package contains, in one embodiment, a substituted hydantoin that has been found to dramatically reduce formaldehyde emissions either alone or in combination with another emission control agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Klaus Kurz, Kirsten Markgraf
  • Publication number: 20220049043
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a process for producing a polyoxymethylene polymer or paraformaldehyde in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. The polyoxymethylene polymer or paraformaldehyde can be produced so as to be carbon neutral or even carbon negative. In one aspect, the polyoxymethylene polymer or paraformaldehyde is formed from a biogas or from a recycled gas. The biogas and the recycled gas are used to produce the components needed to form the polymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: Klaus Kurz, Kirsten Markgraf, Michael Hoffmockel, Kai-Uwe Tönnes
  • Patent number: 9604956
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing cyclic acetal comprising i) preparing a liquid reaction mixture comprising a) formaldehyde source, b) an aprotic compound and c) a catalyst; and ii) converting the formaldehyde source into cyclic acetals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Celanese Sales Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Klaus Kurz, Jurgen Lingnau
  • Patent number: 9574061
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing cyclic acetal comprising i) preparing a reaction mixture comprising a) a formaldehyde source in a liquid medium and b) a catalyst; ii) converting the formaldehyde source into cyclic acetals, wherein the final conversion of said formaldehyde source to said cyclic acetal is greater than 10% on basis of the initial formaldehyde source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Celanese Sales Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Klaus Kurz, Jurgen Lingnau
  • Patent number: 9546148
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing cyclic acetal comprising i) preparing a liquid reaction mixture comprising a) a formaldehyde source, b) an aprotic compound and c) a catalyst; wherein the total amount of protic compounds is less than 40 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the reaction mixture; and ii) converting the formaldehyde source into cyclic acetals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Ticona GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Jurgen Lingnau, Klaus Kurz
  • Patent number: 9499512
    Abstract: A process for producing a cyclic acetal is disclosed. According to the process, a formaldehyde source is combined with an aprotic compound and contacted with a heterogeneous catalyst which causes the formaldehyde source to convert into a cyclic acetal such as trioxane. The catalyst, for instance, may comprise a solid catalyst such as an ion exchange resin. In one embodiment, the process is used for converting anhydrous formaldehyde gas to trioxane. The anhydrous formaldehyde gas may be produced form an aqueous formaldehyde solution by an extractive distillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Ticona GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Damian Feord, Joni Sianturi, Klaus Kurz, Jurgen Lingnau
  • Patent number: 9469624
    Abstract: A process for producing cyclic acetals is described. A formaldehyde source is contacted with an aprotic compound in the presence of a catalyst to produce the cyclic acetals. The aprotic compound can increase conversion rates and/or efficiency. In one embodiment, the formaldehyde source is obtained from methanol. In particular, methanol can be converted into formaldehyde which is then converted into a cyclic acetal. In one embodiment, the cyclic acetal can then be used to produce oxymethylene polymers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Ticona GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Michael Hoffmockel, Klaus Kurz, Jurgen Lingnau, Damian Feord
  • Publication number: 20160280882
    Abstract: A process for recycling polyoxymethylene polymers is disclosed. A polyoxymethylene polymer is at least partially dissolved in an aprotic compound. The resulting solution or suspension (liquid mixture) is then contacted with a catalyst which causes the polyoxymethylene polymer to be converted into a cyclic acetal. The cyclic acetal can be separated, collected and used in other processes. In one embodiment, the cyclic acetal may be used to produce a polyoxymethylene polymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Jürgen Lingnau, Klaus Kurz
  • Publication number: 20160272807
    Abstract: The synthesis of nanoparticles based on hyperbranched-linear-hyperbranched ABA triblock copolymers with hyperbranched polyglycerol (hbPG) as A-block and linear poly(oxymethylene) as B-block is described. The acid-degradable nanoparticles were formed in a facile process, combining a solvent evaporation process with the miniemulsion technique resulting in particles with a diameter in the range of 190 to 250 nm and a standard deviation of ˜30% determined with DLS and SEM. The nanoparticles were placed on a silicon wafer and sintered leading to films with a thickness in the ?m-range investigated via SEM. The surface properties of these films were investigated via static contact angle measurements at the liquid/vapor interface. The contact angle decreases from 67° for the polymer with two hydroxyl groups to 29° for the polymer with 16 hydroxyl groups, confirming the influence of the polymer structure and size of the hbPG block on the surface properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Klaus Kurz, Markus B. Bannwarth, Katharina Landfester, Frederik R. Wurm, Holger Frey, Rebecca Klein
  • Publication number: 20160177091
    Abstract: A water soluble polyoxymethylene copolymer is described. In one embodiment, the polyoxymethylene copolymer is a liquid at 35° C. and is water soluble. The polyoxymethylene copolymer may have a comonomer content of greater than about 60% by weight, such as greater than about 70% by weight, such as greater than about 80% by weight. The copolymer is usually formed using a chain transfer agent. The polyoxymethylene copolymer can be formed so as to have a relatively low molecular weight and have a relatively great amount of end groups or terminal groups. For instance, the copolymer may contain end groups in an amount greater than 300 mmol/kg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Klaus Kurz
  • Patent number: 9365537
    Abstract: A process for recycling polyoxymethylene polymers is disclosed. A polyoxymethylene polymer is at least partially dissolved in an aprotic compound. The resulting solution or suspension (liquid mixture) is then contacted with a catalyst which causes the polyoxymethylene polymer to be converted into a cyclic acetal. The cyclic acetal can be separated, collected and used in other processes. In one embodiment, the cyclic acetal may be used to produce a polyoxymethylene polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Ticona GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Jurgen Lingnau, Klaus Kurz
  • Publication number: 20150247006
    Abstract: Synthesis of hyperbranched-linear-hyperbranched ABA triblock copolymers based on linear poly(oxy methylene) (POM) and hyperbranched poly(glycerol) (hbPG) blocks is described. The polymers having a polyacetal polyether structure were prepared from linear bishydroxy functional POM macroinititators, obtained by cationic ring-opening polymerization of trioxane and dioxane with formic acid as transfer agent and following hydrolysis of the formiate group. Partial deprotonation of the resulting hydroxyl groups permitted the hypergrafting by anionic ring-opening multibranching polymerization (ROMBP) of glycidol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Inventors: Rebecca Klein, Christoph Schüll, Michael Haubs, Klaus Kurz, Holger Frey
  • Publication number: 20140350216
    Abstract: A process for producing a cyclic acetal is disclosed. According to the process, a formaldehyde source is combined with an aprotic compound and contacted with a heterogeneous catalyst which causes the formaldehyde source to convert into a cyclic acetal such as trioxane. The catalyst, for instance, may comprise a solid catalyst such as an ion exchange resin. In one embodiment, the process is used for converting anhydrous formaldehyde gas to trioxane. The anhydrous formaldehyde gas may be produced form an aqueous formaldehyde solution by an extractive distillation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Damian Feord, n/a Joni, Klaus Kurz, Jürgen Lingnau
  • Publication number: 20140343302
    Abstract: A process for recycling polyoxymethylene polymers is disclosed. A polyoyxmethylene polymer is at least partially dissolved in an aprotic compound. The resulting solution or suspension (liquid mixture) is then contacted with a catalyst which causes the polyoxymethylene polymer to be converted into a cyclic acetal. The cyclic acetal can be separated, collected and used in other processes. In one embodiment, the cyclic acetal may be used to produce a polyoxymethylene polymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Jurgen Lingnau, Klaus Kurz
  • Publication number: 20140343300
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing cyclic acetal comprising i) preparing a liquid reaction mixture comprising a) a formaldehyde source, b) an aprotic compound and c) a catalyst; wherein the total amount of protic compounds is less than 40 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the reaction mixture; and ii) converting the formaldehyde source into cyclic acetals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Jürgen Lingnau, Klaus Kurz
  • Publication number: 20140343301
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing cyclic acetal comprising i) preparing a reaction mixture comprising a) a formaldehyde source in a liquid medium and b) a catalyst; ii) converting the formaldehyde source into cyclic acetals, wherein the final conversion of said formaldehyde source to said cyclic acetal is greater than 10% on basis of the initial formaldehyde source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Klaus Kurz, Jürgen Lingnau
  • Publication number: 20140329988
    Abstract: A process for producing cyclic acetals is described. A formaldehyde source is contacted with an aprotic compound in the presence of a catalyst to produce the cyclic acetals. The aprotic compound can increase conversion rates and/or efficiency. In one embodiment, the formaldehyde source is obtained from methanol. In particular, methanol can be converted into formaldehyde which is then converted into a cyclic acetal. In one embodiment, the cyclic acetal can then be used to produce oxymethylene polymers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Michael Hoffmockel, Klaus Kurz, Jurgen Lingnau, Damian Feord
  • Publication number: 20140323686
    Abstract: A process for recovering volatile components from an oxymethylene polymer process is disclosed. The volatile components are removed from the process and the formaldehyde collected is converted to a cyclic acetal. The formaldehyde is converted to a cyclic acetal by contacting the formaldehyde with a catalyst in the presence of an aprotic solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Klaus Kurz, Jurgen Lingnau, Michael Haubs, Michael Hoffmockel, Damian Feord
  • Publication number: 20140316147
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing cyclic acetal comprising i) preparing a liquid reaction mixture comprising a) formaldehyde source, b) an aprotic compound and c) a catalyst; and ii) converting the formaldehyde source into cyclic acetals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Michael Haubs, Klaus Kurz, Jurgen Lingnau
  • Patent number: 8318866
    Abstract: Molding materials and the moldings produced therefrom, containing a) polyoxymethylene in which at least 50% of the terminal groups are hydroxyl groups, which has a melt volume rate MVR of less than 20 cm3/10 minutes, measured according to ISO 1133 at 190° C. and 2.16 kg, and whose proportion of low molecular weight constituents having low molecular weights below 10 000 dalton is less than 15% by weight, based on the total mass of the polyoxymethylene, and b) a thermoplastic elastomer, are described. The moldings produced from these molding materials are distinguished by a very high notch impact strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Ticona GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Kurz, Christine Koestler, Lowell Larson