Patents by Inventor Stephen Zushma

Stephen Zushma 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: 20140212666
    Abstract: Provided are compounds of the following: wherein R1 is a saturated or unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbon optionally substituted with an alkyl and/or an OXO-ester, and R2 is a C4 to C14 hydrocarbyl, preferably the residue of a C4 to C14 OXO-alcohol. Also provided are processes for making the compounds and plasticized polymer compositions containing said compounds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Jihad M. Dakka, Lorenzo C. DeCaul, Christine A. Costello, Edmund J. Mozeleski, Pierre Osterrieth, Stephen Zushma, Allen D. Goodwin, Diana Smirnova, Catherine A. Faler, Victor Deflorio, Didier Naert
  • Patent number: 8791306
    Abstract: In a process for oxidizing an alkylaromatic compound to the corresponding hydroperoxide, a feed comprising an alkylaromatic compound is contacted with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide. The contacting is conducted at a temperature of about 90° C. to about 150° C., with the cyclic imide being present in an amount between about 0.05 wt % and about 5 wt % of the alkylaromatic compound in the feed and the catalyst being substantially free of alkali metal compounds. The contacting oxidizes at least part of the alkylaromatic compound in said feed to the corresponding hydroperoxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Jihad M. Dakka, Stephen Zushma, Jon E. R. Stanat
  • Publication number: 20140187821
    Abstract: In a process for producing a cycloalkylaromatic compound, an aromatic compound and a cyclic olefin are contacted with a first catalyst under conditions effective to produce a reaction product comprising the cycloalkylaromatic compound and at least one non-fused bicyclic by-product. The at least one non-fused bicyclic by-product is then contacted with a second catalyst under conditions effective to convert at least a portion of the at least one non-fused bicyclic by-product to a converted by-product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Kun Wang, Jihad M. Dakka, Stephen Zushma, James R. Lattner, Christopher L. Becker, Tan-Jen Chen
  • Publication number: 20140179845
    Abstract: Provided are compounds and processes of making compounds of the formula: wherein x=4 to 8, R is H, C1 to C4 alkyl, —C(O)OR1 or —OC(O)R1, y=4 to 8, R? is H, C1 to C4 alkyl, and at least one R? is —C(O)OR1 or —OC(O)R1, wherein R1 is a branched C4 to C14 alkyl, and their use in polymer compositions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Jihad Mohammed Dakka, Edmund John Mozeleski, Lisa Saunders Baugh, Stephen Zushma
  • Publication number: 20140100383
    Abstract: Provided is a process for making non-phthalate plasticizers, by acylating an aromatic compound with a succinic anhydride to form a keto-acid, and then esterifying the keto-acid with C4-C13 OXO-alcohols to form a plasticizer compound. The aromatic rings of the aromatic compound may also be optionally hydrogenated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Jihad Mohammed Dakka, Edmund John Mozeleski, Lisa Saunders Baugh, Colle Karla Schall, Allen David Godwin, Diana S. Smirnova, Jorg Friedrich Wilhelm Weber, Stephen Zushma
  • Publication number: 20140100384
    Abstract: Provided is a process for making non-phthalate plasticizers, by acylating an aromatic compound with a succinic anhydride to form a keto-acid, and then esterifying the keto-acid with C4-C13 OXO-alcohols to form a plasticizer compound. The aromatic rings of the aromatic compound may also be optionally hydrogenated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Jihad Mohammed Dakka, Edmund John Mozeleski, Lisa Saunders Baugh, Colle Karla Schall, Allen David Godwin, Diana S. Smirnova, Jorg Friedrich Wilhelm Weber, Stephen Zushma
  • Patent number: 8658836
    Abstract: In a process for oxidizing a hydrocarbon to the corresponding hydroperoxide, alcohol, ketone, carboxylic acid or dicarboxylic acid, a reaction medium comprising a hydrocarbon is contacted with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide of the general formula (I): wherein each of R1 and R2 is independently selected from hydrocarbyl and substituted hydrocarbyl radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or from the groups SO3H, NH2, OH and NO2, or from the atoms H, F, Cl, Br and I provided that R1 and R2 can be linked to one another via a covalent bond; each of Q1 and Q2 is independently selected from C, CH, N, and CR3; each of X and Z is independently selected from C, S, CH2, N, P and an element of Group 4 of the Periodic Table; Y is O or OH; k is 0, 1, or 2; l is 0, 1, or 2; m is 1 to 3; and R3 can be any of the entities listed for R1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Francisco M. Benitez, Jihad M. Dakka, Edmund J. Mozeleski, Stephen Zushma, John Scott Buchanan, Jon E. Stanat
  • Patent number: 8658835
    Abstract: In a process for oxidizing a hydrocarbon to a corresponding hydroperoxide, alcohol, ketone, carboxylic acid or dicarboxylic acid, the hydrocarbon is contacted with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide. The contacting produces an effluent comprising an oxidized hydrocarbon product and unreacted imide catalyst and the effluent is treated with at least one solid sorbent to remove at least part of the unreacted imide catalyst and produce a treated effluent comprising said oxidized hydrocarbon product. The organic phase can then be recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Kun Wang, Jihad M. Dakka, Stephen Zushma
  • Patent number: 8658839
    Abstract: In a process for oxidizing a hydrocarbon to a corresponding hydroperoxide, alcohol, ketone, carboxylic acid or dicarboxylic acid, the hydrocarbon is contacted with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide of the general formula (I): wherein each of R1 and R2 is independently selected from hydrocarbyl and substituted hydrocarbyl radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or from the groups SO3H, NH2, OH and NO2, or from the atoms H, F, Cl, Br and I provided that R1 and R2 can be linked to one another via a covalent bond; each of Q1 and Q2 is independently selected from C, CH, N and CR3; each of X and Z is independently selected from C, S, CH2, N, P and elements of Group 4 of the Periodic Table; Y is O or OH; k is 0, 1, or 2; l is 0, 1, or 2; m is 1 to 3, and R3 can be any of the entities listed for R1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Jihad M. Dakka, James C. Vartuli, Stephen Zushma
  • Patent number: 8604110
    Abstract: Provided are compounds of the formula: wherein m=0-3 and n=0-3, and R1 represents CxH2x wherein x=0 to 4 or cyclohexane; R2 represents H, a C1-C6 alkyl group at any of the ortho-, meta- or para-positions, a residue including heteroatoms chosen from O, N, and S, or mixtures thereof; and R3 and R4 represent hydrocarbon residues of OXO-C5-C9 alcohols which are different isomers of equal carbon number or different in carbon number. Also provided are processes for making the compounds and plasticized polymer compositions containing said compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Jihad Mohammed Dakka, Stephen Zushma, Christine A. Costello, Edmund John Mozeleski, Diana S. Smirnova, Allen David Godwin, Pierre J. Osterrieth, Jörg Friedrich Wilhelm Weber, Paul Hamden Daniels, Thomas M. Larson, Catherine A. Faler
  • Patent number: 8604114
    Abstract: Provided is a process for making non-phthalate plasticizers, by acylating an aromatic compound with a succinic anhydride to form a keto-acid, and then esterifying the keto-acid with C4-C13 OXO-alcohols to form a plasticizer compound. The aromatic rings of the aromatic compound may also be optionally hydrogenated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Jihad Mohammed Dakka, Edmund John Mozeleski, Lisa Saunders Baugh, Karla Schall Colle, Allen David Godwin, Diana S. Smirnova, Jörg Friedrich Wilhelm Weber, Stephen Zushma
  • Patent number: 8592634
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing phenol or a substituted phenol and a co-product comprising the steps of (i) contacting a first stream comprising an alkylaromatic compound with a second stream comprising an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a first catalyst comprising a cyclic imide under conditions to convert at least a portion of said alkylaromatic compound to an alkylaromatic hydroperoxide, (ii) producing an effluent stream comprising said cyclic imide, said alkylaromatic hydroperoxide, and said alkylaromatic compound wherein said effluent stream has an alkylaromatic hydroperoxide concentration of from 10 to 40 wt %; and (iii) contacting in a second reactor at least a portion of said effluent stream with a second catalyst to convert said alkylaromatic hydroperoxide to a product stream comprising phenol and said co-product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Kun Wang, Francisco M. Benitez, James R. Lattner, Jihad M. Dakka, Edmund J. Mozeleski, Stephen Zushma
  • Publication number: 20130274524
    Abstract: In a process for oxidizing an alkylaromatic compound to the corresponding hydroperoxide, a feed comprising an alkylaromatic compound is contacted with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide. The contacting is conducted at a temperature of about 90° C. to about 150° C., with the cyclic imide being present in an amount between about 0.05 wt % and about 5 wt % of the alkylaromatic compound in the feed and the catalyst being substantially free of alkali metal compounds. The contacting oxidizes at least part of the alkylaromatic compound in said feed to the corresponding hydroperoxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Jihad M. Dakka, Stephen Zushma, Jon E.R. Stanat
  • Patent number: 8519057
    Abstract: Disclosed is the preparation of compositions which are mixtures of certain types of epoxidized rigid copolymers of ?-olefins and diene-derived co-monomers in combination with elastomeric diene-based polymers or copolymers. These two types of rigid and elastomeric polymeric materials are placed in a common liquid reaction medium and contacted therein with an oxidizing agent. The oxidizing agent, which can be a peroxide or peracid, epoxidizes in-situ at least a portion of the residual double bonds of the rigid copolymer and preferably also introduces hydroxyl groups, e.g., diol moieties, (or derivatives thereof such as ester groups) onto the unsaturated moieties of the elastomeric diene-based polymers or copolymers. This combination of materials which has been oxidized in-situ can then be co-precipitated to form a polymeric mixture which can be melt-molded into polyolefin materials of improved structural, thermal and mechanical properties with desirable impact resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Abhimanyu Onkar Patil, Stephen Zushma
  • Publication number: 20130211036
    Abstract: A process for oxidizing a composition comprising contacting an alkylbenzene of the general formula (I): where R1 and R2 each independently represents hydrogen or an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, wherein R1 and R2 may be joined to form a cyclic group having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms, the cyclic group being optionally substituted, and R3 represents hydrogen, one or more alkyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a cyclohexyl group; and (ii) about 0.05 wt % to about 5 wt % of phenol, with oxygen in the presence of a catalyst containing a cyclic imide having the general formula (II): wherein X represents an oxygen atom, a hydroxyl group, or an acyloxy group under conditions effective to convert at least a portion of the alkylbenzene to a hydroperoxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Chemical Company - Law Technology
    Inventors: Jihad M. Dakka, Edmund J. Mozeleski, Charles Morris Smith, Christopher L. Becker, Stephen Zushma
  • Patent number: 8487138
    Abstract: In a process for oxidizing a hydrocarbon to a corresponding hydroperoxide, alcohol, ketone, carboxylic acid or dicarboxylic acid, the hydrocarbon is contacted with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide of the general formula (I): wherein each of R1 and R2 is independently selected from hydrocarbyl and substituted hydrocarbyl radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or from the groups SO3H, NH2, OH and NO2, or from the atoms H, F, Cl, Br and I provided that R1 and R2 can be linked to one another via a covalent bond; each of Q1 and Q2 is independently selected from C, CH, N and CR3; each of X and Z is independently selected from C, S, CH2, N, P and an element of Group 4 of the Periodic Table; Y is O or OH; k is 0, 1, or 2; 1 is 0, 1, or 2; m is 1 to 3, and R3 can be any of the entities listed for R1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Jihad M. Dakka, James C. Vartuli, Stephen Zushma
  • Patent number: 8461397
    Abstract: In a process for oxidizing a hydrocarbon to the corresponding hydroperoxide, alcohol, ketone, carboxylic acid or dicarboxylic acid, a reaction medium comprising a hydrocarbon is contacted with an oxygen-containing gas in a reaction zone and in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide. During the oxidation process, a portion of the reaction medium is continuously or intermittently removed from the reaction zone, is stripped of water and organic acid impurities and then returned to the reaction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Lattner, Mark Hagemeister, Jon E. R. Stanat, John S. Buchanan, Jihad M. Dakka, Stephen Zushma
  • Patent number: 8461398
    Abstract: In a process for oxidizing an alkylaromatic compound to the corresponding hydroperoxide, a feed comprising an alkylaromatic compound is contacted with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide. The contacting is conducted at a temperature of about 90° C. to about 150° C., with the cyclic imide being present in an amount between about 0.05 wt % and about 5 wt % of the alkylaromatic compound in the feed and the catalyst being substantially free of alkali metal compounds. The contacting oxidizes at least part of the alkylaromatic compound in said feed to the corresponding hydroperoxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Jihad M. Dakka, Stephen Zushma, Jon E. R. Stanat
  • Patent number: 8445730
    Abstract: In a process for producing phenol or a substituted phenol, an alkylaromatic hydroperoxide having a general formula (I): in which R1 and R2 each independently represents an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, provided that R1 and R2 may be joined to form a cyclic group having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms, said cyclic group being optionally substituted, and R3 represents hydrogen, one or more alkyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a cyclohexyl group, is contacted with a catalyst comprising an oxide of at least one metal from Groups 3 to 5 and Groups 7 to 14 of the Periodic Table of the Elements and an oxide of at least one metal from Group 6 of the Periodic Table of the Elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Jihad M. Dakka, Kun Wang, Edmund J. Mozeleski, Stephen Zushma
  • Patent number: 8426529
    Abstract: Disclosed is a selected type of copolymer composition comprising copolymers having units derived from ethylene and dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) co-monomers. Such copolymer compositions: a) have a DCPD-derived comonomer unit content of from about 25 mole % to about 45 mole %; b) have a Weight Average Molecular Weight, Mw, of greater than about 170,000; c) comprise amorphous material and have glass transition temperatures, Tg, of from about 8° C. to about 129° C., which also fit the equation Tg (in ° C.)?[(mole % DCPD×3.142)?4.67]; and d) comprise no significant amount of crystalline polyethylene homopolymer or crystallizable polyethylene segments within the ethylene-dicyclopentadiene copolymers. Such copolymers can be readily derivatized by hydrogenation and/or epoxidation to provide polymeric materials suitable for use as engineering thermoplastics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Lisa Saunders Baugh, Abhimanyu Onkar Patil, Christian Peter Mehnert, Kevin R. Squire, Kenneth A. Cook, Caiguo Gong, Enock Berluche, Karla Schall Colle, Alan J. Oshinski, Stephen Zushma, Beverly J. Poole