Abstract: Disclosed is a process for hydrogenating a block copolymer comprising admixing a block copolymer cement with hydrogen in the presence of a heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst wherein the heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst is a metal catalyst on a porous alumina support, the porous alumina support having the properties: (a) from about 40 to about 60 percent of the pore volume of the support have a diameter greater than 1000 nm; (b) from about 50 to about 70 percent of the pore volume of the support have a diameter greater than 100 nm; and (c) the support has a multi-modal pore structure with from about 5 to about 20 percent of the total pore volume of the porous alumina support being within a pore mode having a diameter in the range of from about 3000 nm to about 5000 nm. It is also disclosed that alumina can be used to remove a polymerization catalyst, such as Lithium, from a block copolymer cement.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 15, 2004
Date of Patent:
May 30, 2006
Assignee:
KRATON Polymers U.S. LLC
Inventors:
Piet L. W. Christiaens, Ronald James Hoxmeier