Patents by Inventor Douglas C. Greminger

Douglas C. Greminger 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).

  • Patent number: 8883253
    Abstract: Brominated butadiene polymers are recovered from solution and formed into particles by spraying the solution onto a heated, mechanically agitated bed of seed particles. The droplets contact the seed particles in the bed and form a polymer layer on the outside of the seed particles, thereby enlarging them. The solvent is removed from the droplets after they make contact with seed particles in the bed. The process allows for the simultaneous removal of solvent and formation of somewhat large particles. The process forms at most small amounts of agglomerates and fines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Douglas C. Greminger, Brian D. Scherzer
  • Patent number: 8710155
    Abstract: Unsaturated organic compounds are brominated with a quaternary ammonium tribromide or a quaternary phosphonium tribromide, especially when the bromination is conducted in a chlorinated solvent. A quaternary ammonium or quaternary phosphonium monobromide salt is produced in the reaction, together with some amount of quaternary ammonium or quaternary phosphonium monochloride salt. The monochloride salt is converted to the corresponding quaternary ammonium monobromide salt by reacting it with a source of bromide ions. The monobromide salt is then reacted with bromine to regenerate the quaternary ammonium or phosphonium tribromide, which is recycled into the bromination reaction. This process reduces the amount of chlorine that is incorporated into the brominated product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: David B. Gorman, Douglas C. Greminger, Ronald B. Leng
  • Patent number: 8481613
    Abstract: An organic polymer is transferred from one solvent to another. In a first step, a solution of the polymer in a first solvent is divided into droplets, dispersed into a liquid phase such as water bath, and the first solvent is removed from the droplets to produce a slurry in the liquid phase. Then, the second solvent is contacted with the slurry to dissolve the organic polymer and produce a second solution. The second solution is removed from the liquid phase. The process is especially suitable for transferring a butadiene polymer from a hydrocarbon solvent into a halogenated solvent for bromination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Douglas C. Greminger
  • Patent number: 8410226
    Abstract: Butadiene copolymers are brominated using certain quaternary ammonium tribromides as the brominating agent in a first step, and then with elemental bromine in a second bromination step. The bromination process proceeds easily under mild conditions, and produces a brominated product that has excellent thermal stability. The bromination proceeds to high conversions in shorter reaction times, when the bromination is performed using only the first bromination step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: John W. Hull, Jr., Douglas C. Greminger, Timothy J. Adaway
  • Patent number: 8304492
    Abstract: A polybutadiene brominating method uses a quaternary ammonium tribromide as the brominating agent. The brominating is performed in solution, and dual extractions recover the spent brominating agent and recombine it with fresh bromine to regenerate an active tribromide. Solvent and aqueous extraction streams can be purified and recycled as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Douglas C. Greminger, Ronald B. Leng, William G. Stobby, Shari I. Kram
  • Publication number: 20120016088
    Abstract: Unsaturated organic compounds are brominated with a quaternary ammonium tribromide or a quaternary phosphonium tribromide, especially when the bromination is conducted in a chlorinated solvent. A quaternary ammonium or quaternary phosphonium monobromide salt is produced in the reaction, together with some amount of quaternary ammonium or quaternary phosphonium monochloride salt. The monochloride salt is converted to the corresponding quaternary ammonium monobromide salt by reacting it with a source of bromide ions. The monobromide salt is then reacted with bromine to regenerate the quaternary ammonium or phosphonium tribromide, which is recycled into the bromination reaction. This process reduces the amount of chlorine that is incorporated into the brominated product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventors: David B. Gorman, Douglas C. Greminger, Ronald B. Leng
  • Patent number: 8058389
    Abstract: Brominated polybutadiene polymers are recovered from a bromination reaction solution by forming the solution into droplets, thermally stripping the solvent from the droplets, and then washing the resulting particles. The washed particles are then recovered from the washing liquid. The droplets can be dispersed into a gaseous medium such as air and then transferred into a nonsolvent liquid for washing, or can be formed directly into the nonsolvent liquid. The process forms a particulate polymer material that is easily filterable and has low levels of volatile impurities and inorganic salts. Brominated polybutadiene polymers recovered in this manner are often very thermally stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC.
    Inventors: Ronald B. Leng, Avani M. Patel, Brian D. Scherzer, Derrick G. Wetters, Douglas C. Greminger
  • Publication number: 20110143030
    Abstract: Brominated butadiene polymers are recovered from solution and formed into particles by spraying the solution onto a heated, mechanically agitated bed of seed particles. The droplets contact the seed particles in the bed and form a polymer layer on the outside of the seed particles, thereby enlarging them. The solvent is removed from the droplets after they make contact with seed particles in the bed. The process allows for the simultaneous removal of solvent and formation of somewhat large particles. The process forms at most small amounts of agglomerates and fines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Inventor: Douglas C. Greminger
  • Publication number: 20110124774
    Abstract: An organic polymer is transferred from one solvent to another. In a first step, a solution of the polymer in a first solvent is divided into droplets, dispersed into a liquid phase such as water bath, and the first solvent is re-moved from the droplets to produce a slurry in the liquid phase. Then, the second solvent is contacted with the slurry to dissolve the organic polymer and produce a second solution. The second solution is removed from the liquid phase. The process is especially suitable for transferring a butadiene polymer from a hydrocarbon solvent into a halogenated solvent for bromination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventor: Douglas C. Greminger
  • Publication number: 20110065868
    Abstract: Butadiene copolymers are brominated using certain quaternary ammonium tribromides as the brominating agent in a first step, and then with elemental bromine in a second bromination step. The bromination process proceeds easily under mild conditions, and produces a brominated product that has excellent thermal stability. The bromination proceeds to high conversions in shorter reaction times, when the bromination is performed using only the first bromination step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: John W. Hull, JR., Douglas C. Greminger, Timothy J. Adaway
  • Publication number: 20110060104
    Abstract: A polybutadiene brominating method uses a quaternary ammonium tribromide as the brominating agent. The brominating is performed in solution, and dual extractions recover the spent brominating agent and recombine it with fresh bromine to regenerate an active tribromide. Solvent and aqueous extraction streams can be purified and recycled as needed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Inventors: Douglas C. Greminger, Ronald B. Leng, William G. Stobby, Shari I. Kram
  • Publication number: 20090008236
    Abstract: Brominated polybutadiene polymers are recovered from a bromination reaction solution by forming the solution into droplets, thermally stripping the solvent from the droplets, and then washing the resulting particles. The washed particles are then recovered from the washing liquid. The droplets can be dispersed into a gaseous medium such as air and then transferred into a nonsolvent liquid for washing, or can be formed directly into the nonsolvent liquid. The process forms a particulate polymer material that is easily filterable and has low levels of volatile impurities and inorganic salts. Brominated polybutadiene polymers recovered in this manner are often very thermally stable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: Ronald B. Leng, Avani M. Patel, Brian D. Scherzer, Derrick G. Wetters, Douglas C. Greminger
  • Patent number: 5532389
    Abstract: A process of preparing alkylene oxides comprises steps of: (1) optionally forming a hypochlorite solution; (2) contacting chlorine with a solution of a hypochlorite below about 60.degree. C., and a pH of less than about 5.5, with sufficient micromixing to achieve a product hypochlorous acid in a yield of at least about 80 percent; (3) separating at least a portion the hypochlorous acid from an aqueous metal chloride solution wherein the solution is sprayed as droplets; (4) distilling the remaining liquid phase; (5) absorbing the hypochlorous acid and dichlorine monoxide in low-chlorides water to produce a low-chlorides aqueous hypochlorous acid solution; (6) contacting the low-chlorides aqueous hypochlorous acid solution with an olefin in a continuous process to form a olefin chlorohydrin; (7) optionally contacting the olefin chlorohydrin with a base to form a alkylene oxide and a salt solution; and (8) optionally separating the alkylene oxide from the salt solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: David L. Trent, George J. Quarderer, Kim G. Bargeron, Douglas C. Greminger, David J. Koranek, Erik J. Stewart, Curtis N. Swisher, Cheryl A. Tirtowidjojo, Danil Tirtowidjojo
  • Patent number: 5013449
    Abstract: The process of the invention is an adsorptive solute recovery from a dilute solution that, during elution of the adsorbent bed, stores for recycling donor and receiver portions of effluent from the bed that range in concentration from barren to just less than product concentration and just less than product concentration to barren, respectively. The donor and receiver liquids are stored such that their solute concentration profiles as they leave the bed are maintained. The donor liquid is recycled through the adsorbent bed just prior to elution while the bed is treated with the receiver liquid after elution. Steady state operation is established after a number of loading and elution cycles, resulting in improved recovery of solute, reduced recycle rates and lower adsorbent inventory requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1991
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Gonzalo Garcia-Huidobro, Douglas C. Greminger
  • Patent number: H1417
    Abstract: A process for removing halogen gases from a gas stream containing carbon dioxide such as flue gas from an industrial waste incinerator burning chlorinated organic wastes, the process includes seven steps. The first step is to flow fresh absorption liquor to a gas-liquid contactor (such as a column packed with pall rings) the fresh absorption liquor containing water, base and thiosulfate (such as sodium carbonate and sodium thiosulfate). The second step is to flow the gas stream to the gas-liquid contactor. The third step is to contact the fresh absorption liquor and the gas stream in the gas-liquid contactor to form a contacted gas stream and a contacted absorption liquor. The fourth step is to flow the contacted gas stream from the gas-liquid contactor to form an exhaust gas stream from the process. The fifth step is to flow the contacted absorption liquor from the gas-liquid contactor to form used absorption liquor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Engin D. Yalvac, Robert A. Bredeweg, Douglas C. Greminger