Abstract: A method of forming polycarbonate includes the steps of introducing a plurality of reaction components to a reactor operating under melt polymerization conditions and removing ester-substituted phenol from the reactor. The plurality of reaction components include a dihydroxy compound, an ester-substituted diaryl carbonate, and a melt transesterification catalyst. The reaction components are introduced in a plurality of reaction component streams. A first reaction component streams includes a melt transesterification catalyst dissolved or suspended in a liquid carrier containing an ester-substituted phenol. The composition of the first reaction component stream is selected such that ester-substituted phenol is not generated as a reaction product in the first reaction component stream.

Abstract: A non-reactive monomer mixture has a monomer component dispersed in a melted diaryl carbonate. The monomer component has one or more monomer compounds having a melting point below the melting point of the diaryl carbonate. Furthermore, the monomer component has less than 600 ppb alkali metal, an acid stabilizer, or both less than 600 ppb alkali metal and an acid stabilizer. The monomer compounds of the monomer component and the diaryl carbonate are present in a mole ratio of from 0.9 to 1.1. The monomer mixture is at a temperature between the melting temperature of the lowest melting monomer compound and the melting temperature of the diaryl carbonate.

Abstract: A non-reactive monomer mixture contains a monomer component and a diaryl carbonate dispersed in the mixture. The monomer component includes one or more monomer compounds having a melting point below the melting point of the diaryl carbonate. The monomer component has less than 600 ppb alkali metal, an acid stabilizer, or both less than 600 ppb alkali metal and an acid stabilizer. The monomer compounds of the monomer component and the diaryl carbonate are present in a mole ratio of from 0.9 to 1.1. The monomer mixture is at a temperature between the melting temperature of the lowest melting monomer compound and less than 5° C. above the melting point of the diaryl carbonate.

Abstract: A non-reactive monomer mixture is formed from a dihydroxy component having one or more dihydroxy compounds dissolved in a melted diaryl carbonate. The dihydroxy component has less than 600 ppb alkali metal, an acid stabilizer, or both less than 600 ppb alkali metal and an acid stabilizer. The dihydroxy compounds of the dihydroxy component and the diaryl carbonate are present in a mole ratio of from 0.9 to 1.1. The monomer mixture is at a temperature between the saturation point of the monomer mixture and the highest melting temperature of the individual dihydroxy compounds. The non-reactive monomer mixture can be stored and transported and then polymerized to form polycarbonate upon addition of a catalyst.

Abstract: A non-reactive monomer mixture contains a monomer component and a diaryl carbonate dispersed in the mixture. The monomer component includes one or more monomer compounds having a melting point below the melting point of the diaryl carbonate. The monomer component has less than 600 ppb alkali metal, an acid stabilizer, or both less than 600 ppb alkali metal and an acid stabilizer. The monomer compounds of the monomer component and the diaryl carbonate are present in a mole ratio of from 0.9 to 1.1. The monomer mixture is at a temperature between the melting temperature of the lowest melting monomer compound and less than 5° C. above the melting point of the diaryl carbonate.

Abstract: In various embodiments the present invention comprises 2,4,6-trisubstituted-1,3,5-triazine capping agents comprising one, two, or three leaving groups as substituents with any remaining substituents being essentially inert to reaction with a nucleophilic group on a polymer or monomer, or reactive with a nucleophilic group on a polymer or monomer at a slower rate than any leaving group. The invention also comprises polymers or monomers with nucleophilic groups capped with a triazine moiety. Still other embodiments of the invention comprise processes for capping nucleophilic groups in a polymer or monomer which comprises combining and reacting the polymer or monomer with a triazine-comprising capping agent.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing an ester-substituted phenol product stream from an ester-substituted diaryl carbonate manufacturing waste stream. The method includes the steps of obtaining a waste stream containing an ester-substituted diaryl carbonate from an ester-substituted diaryl carbonate manufacturing facility and creating a reaction mixture by combining the waste stream with a solvent and with a transesterification catalyst. The reaction mixture is maintained at a reaction pressure at or below atmospheric pressure, and at a reaction temperature for a period of time sufficient to produce ester-substituted phenol by solvolysis of the ester-substituted diaryl carbonate. Ester-substituted phenol is removed from the reaction mixtures in an ester-substituted phenol stream. The solvent, the reaction temperature, and the reaction time are selected in combination such that less than 1,000 ppm of acid-substituted phenol is present in the ester-substituted phenol stream.

Abstract: A method for preparing a molded article includes the steps of (a) obtaining a polycarbonate resin and (b) molding the polycarbonate resin. The polycarbonate resin is made by a transesterification reaction using an activated diaryl carbonate such that the polycarbonate is susceptible to the formation of internal ester linkages (IEL). The method occurs with the proviso that the polycarbonate resin, the molding conditions or both are selected to control the amount of IEL formed during the molding process to a level of less than 0.4 mol %.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a polycarbonate comprising a terminal olefin group of the formula wherein R1 is a C1-C40 hydrocarbon that can be unsubstituted or substituted with a halogen, olefin, ether, ketone, or C4-C30 polyoxyalkylene functionality in which the alkylene groups contain 2 to 6 carbon atoms, R2 to R4 are each independently a hydrogen or a C1-C40 hydrocarbon that can be unsubstituted or substituted with a halogen, olefin, ether, ketone, or a C4-C30 polyoxyalkylene functionality in which the alkylene groups contain 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and optionally wherein any two of R1 to R4 together form a monocyclic, bicyclic, or tricyclic ring system optionally substituted with a heteroatom in each ring.

Abstract: A method of making a polycarbonate is described. The method comprises melt reacting an ester-substituted diaryl carbonate and a multifunctional compound of the formula: in the presence of catalyst to form an oligomer comprising less than 2,000 ppm of an ester-linked terminal group, and melt polymerizing the oligomer to form a polycarbonate. Use of specific reaction conditions produces a polycarbonate having an Mw of greater than or equal to 25,000 g/mol as determined by gel-permeation chromatography relative to polystyrene standards. Polycarbonates comprising units derived from the multifunctional compound, including homopolycarbonates, aliphatic copolycarbonates further comprising units derived from an aromatic dihydroxy compound, and aliphatic polycarbonate-polyesters, are also disclosed, as are a thermoplastic composition and an article including the disclosed polycarbonates.

Abstract: A non-reactive monomer mixture has a monomer component dispersed in a melted diaryl carbonate. The monomer component has one or more monomer compounds having a melting point below the melting point of the diaryl carbonate. Furthermore, the monomer component has less than 600 ppb alkali metal, an acid stabilizer, or both less than 600 ppb alkali metal and an acid stabilizer. The monomer compounds of the monomer component and the diaryl carbonate are present in a mole ratio of from 0.9 to 1.1. The monomer mixture is at a temperature between the melting temperature of the lowest melting monomer compound and the melting temperature of the diaryl carbonate.

Abstract: A non-reactive monomer mixture is formed from a dihydroxy component having one or more dihydroxy compounds dissolved in a melted diaryl carbonate. The dihydroxy component has less than 600 ppb alkali metal, an acid stabilizer, or both less than 600 ppb alkali metal and an acid stabilizer. The dihydroxy compounds of the dihydroxy component and the diaryl carbonate are present in a mole ratio of from 0.9 to 1.1. The monomer mixture is at a temperature between the saturation point of the monomer mixture and the highest melting temperature of the individual dihydroxy compounds. The non-reactive monomer mixture can be stored and transported and then polymerized to form polycarbonate upon addition of a catalyst.

Abstract: An image processing method includes a step of converting halftoned pixels of an image to be printed represented at a first lower tonal resolution into pixels represented at a second higher tonal resolution. Image processing is used on the pixels having a higher tonal resolution to reduce image quality artifacts when the pixels are printed at the first lower tonal resolution. In a preferred embodiment, the image processing includes error diffusion of a sigma delta modulation.

Abstract: A method of preparing polycarbonate includes a steps of providing a melt reaction mixture and allowing the melt reaction mixture to react to build molecular weight, thereby preparing the polycarbonate. The melt reaction mixture has a dihydroxy compound, an ester substituted diaryl carbonate mixture, and a melt transesterification catalyst where the ester substituted diaryl carbonate mixture may contain acid-substituted phenol. The method also includes the step of adjusting the molar ratio of acid-substituted phenol, if present, to melt transesterification catalyst (acid-substituted phenol/catalyst) in the melt reaction mixture to an amount of less than 10.

Abstract: A surface of a melt polymerization reactor system having residual reaction components of a melt polymerization reaction thereon can be cleaned by introducing a cleaning agent having a phenolic compound to the polymerization reactor system and into contact with the surface of the melt polymerization reactor system having the residual reaction components of a melt polymerization reaction thereon. The residual reaction components of the melt polymerization reaction include polycarbonate oligomers or polymers or their degradation products. Further, the cleaning agent is maintained in contact with the surface for a period of time and at a temperature sufficient to substantially remove the residual reaction components from the surface.

Abstract: A method for preparing a molded article includes the steps of (a) obtaining a polycarbonate resin and (b) molding the polycarbonate resin. The polycarbonate resin is made by a transesterification reaction using an activated diaryl carbonate such that the polycarbonate is susceptible to the formation of internal ester linkages (IEL). The method occurs with the proviso that the polycarbonate resin, the molding conditions or both are selected to control the amount of IEL formed during the molding process to a level of less than 0.4 mol %.

Abstract: A method of making polycarbonate includes the steps of forming polycarbonate by a melt transesterification method using an activated diaryl carbonate, and compounding the polycarbonate with a phosphorus-containing compound that has an abstractable proton or hydrolyzable group. The phosphorus-containing compound is compounded with the polycarbonate in an amount sufficient to result in an improvement in the color properties of the polycarbonate as compared to pellets formed from the same polycarbonate without addition of the phosphorus-containing compound.

Abstract: A method of increasing the branching and polydispersity of a polycarbonate includes the steps of: (a) including in the polycarbonate at least one species of an alkyl substituted monomer, and (b) treating the polycarbonate at an elevated temperature and for a sufficient time to increase the branching and polydispersity relative to an otherwise equivalent polycarbonate without alkyl substituents.

Abstract: A process for the production of polycarbonate having increased end-cap levels, the process comprising adding a terminal blocking agent of the formula: wherein R1 is a propoxy or butoxy and R2 is selected from the group consisting of C1-C30 alkyl, C1-C30 alkoxy, C6-C30 aryl, C7-C30 aralkyl, and C6-C30 aryloxy.

Abstract: In various embodiments the present invention comprises 2,4,6-trisubstituted-1,3,5-triazine capping agents comprising one, two, or three leaving groups as substituents with any remaining substituents being essentially inert to reaction with a nucleophilic group on a polymer or monomer, or reactive with a nucleophilic group on a polymer or monomer at a slower rate than any leaving group. The invention also comprises polymers or monomers with nucleophilic groups capped with a triazine moiety. Still other embodiments of the invention comprise processes for capping nucleophilic groups in a polymer or monomer which comprises combining and reacting the polymer or monomer with a triazine-comprising capping agent.