Patents by Inventor Thomas E. Müller

Thomas E. Müller 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: 20210209963
    Abstract: A base rating number calculation determines a number rating providing a practical tool for assisting in the selection of foods best suited for healthy weight management. The rating tool is a component of a comprehensive health plan including food quality rating, formulating healthy weight management goals, calculating and reporting on progress in attaining goals and presenting informative and motivational visual displays illustrating the status of goal attainment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Tom H. Hill, Thomas E. Mueller, Carlos A. Torres, Reagan D. Brown
  • Publication number: 20210125701
    Abstract: An Application implemented on a computing device. Algorithms in the Application convert information about the nutrient concentration in a measure of food into a single quality rating number for the food. Concentration values of specific nutrients in the food are determined using information about the weight of selected nutrients in a measure of the food.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Reagan D. Brown, Tom H. Hill, Carlos A. Torres, Ganesh Jagtap, Thomas E. Mueller
  • Patent number: 10179835
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing polyether carbonate polyols, the polyether carbonate polyols having electron-poor and electron-rich double bonds, said method preferably comprising the steps of (a) providing a suspending agent and/or an H-functional starter compound and a DMC catalyst, 03) adding at least one epoxide and (y) adding carbon dioxide, an epoxide that does not contain an unsaturated group, and at least two unsaturated compounds, the unsaturated compounds in method step (y) being selected from the group comprising unsaturated epoxides and unsaturated cyclic anhydrides, and one of the unsaturated compounds having an electron-rich double bond and one of the unsaturated compounds having an electron-poor double bond. The invention also relates to the crosslinking of polyether carbonate polyols, the polyether carbonate polyols having electronpoor and electron-rich double bonds, and to the crosslinked polyether carbonates obtainable therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: COVESTRO DEUTSCHLAND AG
    Inventors: Thomas E. Müller, Christoph Gürtler, Muhammad A. Subhani, Burkhard Köhler, Walter Leitner
  • Patent number: 9957353
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing low viscosity polyether carbonate polyols having side chains. A double metal cyanide catalyst and a suspension medium, with or without an H-functional starter compound, are initially introduced as a reaction mixture, and alkylene oxides are metered into the reaction mixture in two steps. The difference between the molecular weights of the lightest and the heaviest of the alkylene oxides metered in the two steps is greater than or equal to 24 g/mol, and the lightest alkylene oxide is a C2-C4 alkylene oxide. The alkylene oxides metered in the two steps can be the same or different. The invention also relates to the low viscosity polyether carbonate polyols produced by the method and to the use thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: COVESTRO DEUTSCHLAND AG
    Inventors: Thomas E. Müller, Christoph Gürtler, Muhammad A. Subhani, Walter Leitner
  • Patent number: 9957352
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing polyether carbonate polyols by the addition of alkylene oxides and carbon dioxide onto H-functional starter compounds. The method is characterized in that at least one urethane alcohol according to formula (II) is used as an H-functional starter compound, wherein R 1 represents a linear or branched C2 to C24-alkylene which can be optionally interrupted by heteroatoms such as O, S or N and can be substituted; R2 represents a linear or branched C2 to C24-alkylene which can be optionally interrupted by heteroatoms such as O, S or N and can be substituted; R3 represents H, linear or branched C1 to C24-alkyl, C3 to C24-cycloalkyl, C4 to C24-aryl, C5 to C24-arylalkyl, C2 to C24-alkenyl, C2 to 24-alkinyl, that can each be optionally interrupted by heteroatoms such as O, S, or N and/or may each be substituted with alkyl, aryl, and/or hydroxyl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: COVESTRO DEUTSCHLAND AG
    Inventors: Jörg Hofmann, Monika Heinz, Hartmut Nefzger, Kai Laemmerhold, Bert Klesczewski, Thomas E. Müller, Aurel Wolf, Jens Langanke
  • Patent number: 9957354
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing higher functional polyether carbonate polyols, said method preferably comprising the steps of ([alpha]) providing a DMC catalyst and; ([alpha][alpha]) a suspending agent that does contain any H-functional groups and/or ([alpha][beta]) an H-functional starter compound ([beta]) adding carbon dioxide and at least one alkylene oxide ([gamma]) adding carbon dioxide and at least two alkylene oxides, wherein these alkylene oxides can be the same as or different from the alkylene oxide or alkylene oxides added in step ([beta]), and ([delta]) adding carbon dioxide and at least one alkylene oxide, wherein this alkylene oxide or these alkylene oxides can be the same as or different from the alkylene oxides added in steps ([beta]) and ([gamma]), at least one of the alkylene oxides in step ([gamma]) having an epoxy functionality of >=2 and, in addition, in the case that no H-functional starter compound is provided in ([alpha]), step ([delta]) includes the addition
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: COVESTRO DEUTSCHLAND AG
    Inventors: Thomas E. Müller, Christoph Gürtler, Muhammad A. Subhani, Burkhard Köhler, Walter Leitner
  • Patent number: 9708446
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing mercapto-crosslinked polyethercarbonate and sees polyethercarbonate polyols containing double bonds being reacted with polyfunctional mercaptans and/or sulfur with the involvement of initiator compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Covestro Deutschland AG
    Inventors: Thomas E. Müller, Christoph Gürtler, Muhammad A. Subhani, Burkhard Köhler, Walter Leitner
  • Publication number: 20170167720
    Abstract: Illumination systems for wearable articles which include one or more lights, such as LED lights, connected with a rechargeable battery, such as through copper or aluminum wiring, and a solar panel for recharging a rechargeable battery during sufficiently high-light ambient conditions, thus enabling the rechargeable battery to provide power for the illumination system during low-light ambient conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventor: Thomas E. Mueller
  • Publication number: 20160319070
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing polyether carbonate polyols by the addition of alkylene oxides and carbon dioxide onto H-functional starter compounds. The method is characterized in that at least one urethane alcohol according to formula (II) is used as an H-functional starter compound, wherein R represents a linear or branched C2 to C24-alkylene which can be optionally interrupted by heteroatoms such as O, S or N and can be substituted; R2 represents a linear or branched C2 to C24-alkylene which can be optionally interrupted by heteroatoms such as O, S or N and can be substituted; R3 represents H, linear or branched C1 to C24-alkyl, C3 to C24-cycloalkyl, C4 to C24-aryl, C5 to C24-arylalkyl, C2 to C24-alkenyl, C2 to 24-alkinyl, that can each be optionally interrupted by heteroatoms such as O, S, or N and/or may each he substituted with alkyl, aryl, and/or hydroxyl.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Jörg HOFMANN, Monika HEINZ, Hartmut NEFZGER, Kai LAEMMERHOLD, Bert KLESCZEWSKI, Thomas E. MÜLLER, Aurel WOLF, Jens LANGANKE
  • Publication number: 20160229955
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing branched polyether carbonate polyols, comprising the step of reacting an alkylene oxide and carbon dioxide with an H-functional starter compound in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the reaction is additionally conducted in the presence of a branching compound comprising a functional group polymerizable by ring-opening and an H-functional group. The branching compound is added during the reaction in such a way that the proportion of the branching compound in the reaction mixture obtained, at any time during the addition, is <=7.5% by weight, based on the amount of H-functional starter compound, alkylene oxide and branching compound added at this time. The invention further relates to a polyether carbonate polyol preparable by the process according to the invention, and to crosslinked polyether carbonate polymers based thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas E. MÜLLER, Christoph GÜRTLER, Muhammad A. SUBHANI, Burkhard KÖHLER
  • Patent number: 9403754
    Abstract: A catalytic process for hydrogenating aromatic di- and polyamines with the aid of a selected catalyst system is provided, which comprises a mixture of a first heterogeneous catalyst and a second heterogeneous catalyst and a nitro compound (nitrate and/or nitrite salt). The first and second heterogeneous catalyst each independently comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd and/or Pt and the metal selected for the second heterogeneous catalyst is different from the metal selected for the first heterogeneous catalyst. Hydrogenation of aromatic rings having two or more amino groups bound to the aromatic ring produces cycloaliphatic di- and polyamines, which are useful chemical intermediates, e.g., for further reaction with epoxides or isocyanates. The amino groups may also be converted to isocyanates via reaction with phosgene. The resulting cycloaliphatic di- and polyisocyanates may also be used as monomers for making polymers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Bayer MaterialScience AG
    Inventors: Thomas E. Müller, Christoph Gürtler, Reinhard Halpaap, Christoph Thiebes, Ewa Gebauer-Henke, Isabel U. Castro Cevallos, Walter Leitner
  • Publication number: 20160200865
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing polyether carbonate polyols, the polyether carbonate polyols having electron-poor and electron-rich double bonds, said method preferably comprising the steps of (a) providing a suspending agent and/or an H-functional starter compound and a DMC catalyst, 03) adding at least one epoxide and (y) adding carbon dioxide, an epoxide that does not contain an unsaturated group, and at least two unsaturated compounds, the unsaturated compounds in method step (y) being selected from the group comprising unsaturated epoxides and unsaturated cyclic anhydrides, and one of the unsaturated compounds having an electron-rich double bond and one of the unsaturated compounds having an electron-poor double bond. The invention also relates to the crosslinking of polyether carbonate polyols, the polyether carbonate polyols having electronpoor and electron-rich double bonds, and to the crosslinked polyether carbonates obtainable therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas E. MÜLLER, Christoph GÜRTLER, Muhammad A. SUBHANI, Burkhard KÖHLER, Walter LEITNER
  • Publication number: 20160200866
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing mercapto-crosslinked polyethercarbonate and sees polyethercarbonate polyols containing double bonds being reacted with polyfunctional mercaptans and/or sulfur with the involvement of initiator compounds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas E. MÜLLER, Christoph GÜRTLER, Muhammed A. SUBHANI, Burkhard KÖHLER, Walter LEITNER
  • Publication number: 20160194444
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing higher functional polyether carbonate polyols, said method preferably comprising the steps of ([alpha]) providing a DMC catalyst and: ([alpha][alpha]) a suspending agent that does contain any H-functional groups and/or ([alpha][beta]) an H-functional starter compound ([beta]) adding carbon dioxide and at least one alkylene oxide ([gamma]) adding carbon dioxide and at least two alkylene oxides, wherein these alkylene oxides can be the same as or different from the alkylene oxide or alkylene oxides added in step ([beta]), and ([delta]) adding carbon dioxide and at least one alkylene oxide, wherein this alkylene oxide or these alkylene oxides can be the same as or different from the alkylene oxides added in steps ([beta]) and ([gamma]), at least one of the alkylene oxides in step ([gamma]) having an epoxy functionality of >=2 and, in addition, in the case that no H-functional starter compound is provided in ([alpha]), step ([delta]) includes the addition
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2013
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas E. MÜLLER, Christoph GÜRTLER, Muhammad A. SUBHANI, Burkhard KÖHLER, Walter LEITNER
  • Publication number: 20160185903
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing low viscosity polyether carbonate polyols having side chains, said method comprising the steps of (a) providing either a suspending agent that does not contain any H-functional groups or an H-functional starter compound, and a catalyst, 03) adding at least one epoxide, the difference between the molecular weights of the lightest and the heaviest of the alkylene oxides added in steps 03) and (y) being greater than or equal to 24 g/mol and the lightest alkylene oxide being a C2-C4 alkylene oxide, wherein the epoxide or epoxides added in step (y) can be the same as or different from the expoxide or expoxides added in 03) and wherein step 03) is carried out between step (a) and step (y), and (y) adding carbon dioxide and at least two alkylene oxides, characterized in that the difference between the molecular weights of the lightest and the heaviest of the alkylene oxides added in step (y) is greater than or equal to 24 g/mol and the lightest alkylene oxide i
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2014
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas E. MÜLLER, Christoph GÜRTLER, Muhammad A. SUBHANI, Walter LEITNER
  • Patent number: 9278906
    Abstract: A process for hydrogenating aromatic di- and polyamines is provided comprising the steps of reacting the aromatic amine with hydrogen in the presence of a catalytic system, wherein the catalytic system comprises a heterogeneous catalyst comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd and/or Pt and a support, and wherein the catalyst system further comprises an organic nitro compound. Hydrogenation of aromatic di- and polyamines having two or more amino groups bound to the aromatic ring produces cycloaliphatic di- and polyamines, which are useful chemical intermediates, e.g., for further reaction with epoxides or isocyanates. The amino groups may also be converted to isocyanates via reaction with phosgene. The resulting cycloaliphatic di- and polyisocyanates may also be used as monomers for making polymers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Bayer MaterialScience AG
    Inventors: Thomas E. Müller, Christoph Gürtler, Reinhard Halpaap, Ewa Gebauer-Henke, Walter Leitner, Patrick Tomkins, Christoph Thiebes
  • Publication number: 20150218083
    Abstract: A process for hydrogenating aromatic di- and polyamines is provided comprising the steps of reacting the aromatic amine with hydrogen in the presence of a catalytic system, wherein the catalytic system comprises a heterogeneous catalyst comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd and/or Pt and a support, and wherein the catalyst system further comprises an organic nitro compound. Hydrogenation of aromatic di- and polyamines having two or more amino groups bound to the aromatic ring produces cycloaliphatic di- and polyamines, which are useful chemical intermediates, e.g., for further reaction with epoxides or isocyanates. The amino groups may also be converted to isocyanates via reaction with phosgene. The resulting cycloaliphatic di- and polyisocyanates may also be used as monomers for making polymers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas E. MÜLLER, Christoph GÜRTLER, Reinhard HALPAAP, Ewa GEBAUER-HENKE, Walter LEITNER, Patrick TOMKINS, Christoph THIEBES
  • Publication number: 20150218082
    Abstract: A catalytic process for hydrogenating aromatic di- and polyamines with the aid of a selected catalyst system is provided, which comprises a mixture of a first heterogeneous catalyst and a second heterogeneous catalyst and a nitro compound (nitrate and/or nitrite salt). The first and second heterogeneous catalyst each independently comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd and/or Pt and the metal selected for the second heterogeneous catalyst is different from the metal selected for the first heterogeneous catalyst. Hydrogenation of aromatic rings having two or more amino groups bound to the aromatic ring produces cycloaliphatic di- and polyamines, which are useful chemical intermediates, e.g., for further reaction with epoxides or isocyanates. The amino groups may also be converted to isocyanates via reaction with phosgene. The resulting cycloaliphatic di- and polyisocyanates may also be used as monomers for making polymers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas E. Müller, Christoph Gürtler, Reinhard HALPAAP, Christoph THIEBES, Ewa GEBAUER-HENKE, Isabel U. CASTRO CEVALLOS, Walter LEITNER