NOVEL EPOXY-FUNCTIONAL POLYETHERS

Abstract: A novel epoxy-functional polyether composition is produced by reacting a carboxylic acid having formula (VI), wherein Q is A or B, X and Y are independently a hydrogen, methyl or ethyl group with the provision that if X is methyl or ethyl, Y is hydrogen or if Y is methyl or ethyl, X is hydrogen, and m+n+o is a positive real number from 1 to 450 and an epoxy resin having a functionality of at least 1.5 epoxide group per molecule.

Description: NOVEL EPOXY-FUNCTIONAL POLYETHERS The invention relates to epoxy-functional polyethers. There are ever increasing demands for compounds useful in epoxy resin applications, for example as emulsifiers or diluents, as epoxy resins are required to perform under ever more specific and demanding conditions. In this respect reference is especially made to aqueous based epoxy resin compositions, which are more environment-friendly than the classic organic solvent based systems. Such aqueous based systems require specific emulsifiers and/or diluents which have to be compatible with the aqueous phase as well as with the organic phase. It is desirable for such compounds to have epoxy functional groups to increase the compatibility with the cured epoxy matrix. Further, it is desirable to be able to provide such compounds with predefined hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments depending on the desired applications. It is an object of the present invention to provide compositions comprising novel epoxy-functional polyethers. It is another object of the present invention to provide a process to prepare epoxy- functional polyethers. Another object of the invention are the novel esters themselves. It has been found that composition comprising certain epoxy-functional polyethers can be made, which polyethers are very suitable for use as emulsifiers and/or reactive diluents in e.g. aqueous epoxy resin compositions which are suitable for coating purposes, by reaction of certain dicarboxylic acids and epoxy resins having more than one epoxy group. Thus, the present invention relates to compositions comprising a product produced by reacting (a) a carboxylic acid having the formula: H— Q—H (VI) wherein Q is A or B, X and Y are independently a hydrogen, methyl or ethyl group with the provision that if X is methyl or ethyl, Y is hydrogen or if Y is methyl or ethyl, X is hydrogen, and m+n+o is a positive real number from 1 to 450 and (b) an epoxy resin having a functionality of at least 1.5 epoxide group per molecule in a carboxylic acid to epoxy resin mole ratio of from 1:2 to 1:20. In the above formulas n+m+o is preferably from 6 to 200. The hydrophilic carboxylic acid can be produced by oxidation of a polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polybutylene glycol or a block copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide or polybutylene oxide ("polyalkylene glycol") . Preferably the polyalkylene glycol has a formula: wherein D is E or F, X and Y are independently hydrogen, methyl or ethyl group with the provision that if X is methyl or ethyl, Y is hydrogen or if Y is methyl or ethyl, X is hydrogen and m+n+o is a positive real number from 1, preferably from 20 to 450, preferably to 400 and m, n and o can independently be a positive real number from 0 to 450. Polyalkylene glycols generally contain a distribution of compounds with a varying number of oxyethylene units, n or o and/or oxypropylene or oxybutylene units, m. Generally, the quoted number of units is the whole number closest to the statistical average, and the peak of the distribution. Positive real number as used herein refers to a number which is positive and includes integers and fractions of integers. The carboxylic acids can be produced by oxidation of the polyalkylene glycols including, but not limited to, the processes described in U.S. Patent No. 5,250,727. Generally, oxygen is added to the polyalkylene glycol in the presence of a free radical (e.g., 2,2, 6, 6-tetra- methyl-1-piperidinyloxy) and an inorganic acid (e.g., nitric acid) to produce the carboxylic acid until substantially all of the alcohol groups are oxidized to carboxylic acid groups. The carboxylic acids can be represented by the general formula: H—Q—H (VI) wherein Q is as defined above. The epoxy-functional polyethers of the invention are produced by reacting the carboxylic acid described above with an hydrophobic epoxy resin. Generally, the epoxy resin can be any reactive epoxy resin having a 1,2-epoxy equivalency (functionality) preferably, on the average, greater than about 1.5 epoxide groups per molecule. The epoxy resin can be saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched, aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic, and may bear substituents which do not materially interfere with the reaction with the carboxylic acid. Such substituents can include bromine or fluorine. They may be monomeric or polymeric, liquid or solid, but are preferably liquid or a low melting solid at room temperature. Suitable epoxy resins include glycidyl ethers prepared by reacting epichlorohydrin with a compound containing a real positive number of at least 1.5 aromatic hydroxyl group carried out under alkaline reaction conditions. Examples of epoxy resins suitable for use in the invention include diglycidyl ethers of dihydric compounds. Generally epoxy resins contain a distribution of compounds with a varying number of 1,2-epoxy equivalency. Preferred epoxy resins include, but are not limited to those represented by the formula: O O CH 2 —CH—CH 2 0 R 1 0 CH 2 —CH CH 2 (VI11) wherein R* is divalent aliphatic, divalent cyclo¬ aliphatic, divalent aryl, or divalent arylaliphatic group, preferably R 1 contains 8 to 120 carbon atoms. The term divalent aliphatic group includes compounds having oxygen and/or sulfur atoms on the backbone. Preferably the epoxy resin is a diglycidyl ether of a dihydric phenol, diglycidyl ether of a hydrogenated dihydric phenol (cycloaliphatic glycidyl ether) , an aliphatic glycidyl ether or cycloaliphatic epoxies. For example, R 1 can be a divalent cycloaliphatic group having the formula: wherein R 5 and R^ are each independently an alkylene group or a divalent arylaliphatic group having the formula: wherein R 7 is an al ylene group. Diglycidyl ethers of dihydric phenols can be produced, for example, by reacting an epihalohydrin with a dihydric phenol in the presence of an alkali. Examples of suitable dihydric phenols include: 2,2-bis (4-hydroxy- phenyl)propane (bisphenol-A) 2,2-bis (4-hydroxy-3-tert- butylphenyl)propane; 1, 1-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane; 1, 1-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) isobutane; bis (2-hydroxy-l-naph- thyl) ethane; 1, 5-dihydroxynaphthalene; 1, 1-bis (4- hydroxy-3-alkylphenyl) ethane and the like. Suitable dihydric phenols can also be obtained from the reaction of phenol with aldehydes such as formaldehyde (bisphenol-F) . Diglycidyl ethers of dihydric phenols includes fusion products of the above diglycidyl ethers of dihydric phenols with phenolic compounds such as bisphenol-A, such as those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,477,990 and 4,734,468. Diglycidyl ethers of hydrogenated dihydric phenols (or cycloaliphatic glycidyl ethers) can be produced, for example, by hydrogenation of dihydric phenols followed by glycidation with epihalohydrin in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst and subsequent formation of the glycidyl ether by reaction with sodium hydroxide. Examples of suitable dihydric phenols are listed above. Aliphatic glycidyl ethers optionally containing oxygen atoms on the backbone in the form of ether linkages can be produced, for example, by reacting an epihalohydrin with an aliphatic diol or a polyalkylene- oxide glycol in the presence of a lewis acid catalyst followed by conversion of the halohydrin intermediate to the glycidyl ether by reaction with sodium hydroxide. Examples of preferred aliphatic glycidyl ethers include those corresponding to the formulas: wherein: p is an integer from 2 to 12, preferably from 2 to 6; and q is an integer from 4 to 24, preferably from 4 to 12. Examples of suitable aliphatic glycidyl ethers include for example, diglycidyl ethers of 1,4 butanediol, neopentyl glycol, cyclohexane dimethanol, hexanediol, polyproplene glycol, and like diols and glycols; and triglycidyl ethers of trimethylol ethane and trimethylol propane. Cycloaliphatic epoxies can be produced by epoxidizing a cycloalkene-containing compound with greater then one olefinic bond with peracetic acid. Examples of the preferred cycloaliphatic epoxies include those corresponding to the formulas: (XI) wherein R 2 is a divalent aliphatic group optionally containing ether or ester groups or together with R3 or R^ form a spiro ring optionally containing heteroatoms, and R^ and R 4 are independently hydrogen or R3 or R^ together with R 2 form a spiro ring optionally containing heteroatoms such as oxygen. Preferably R 2 contains about 1 to 20 carbon atoms. Examples of cycloaliphatic epoxies include, for example, 3, 4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl- (3, 4- epoxy) cyclohexane carboxylate, dicycloaliphatic diether diepoxy [2- (3, 4-epoxy) cyclohexyl-5, 5-spiro (3, 4-epoxy) - cyclohexane-m-dioxane] , bis (3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl)- adipate, bis (3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)adipate and vinylcyclohexene dioxide [4- (1,2-epoxyethyl)-1,2-epoxy- cyclohexane] . Cycloaliphatic epoxies include compounds of the formulas: Commercial examples of preferred epoxy resins include, for example, EPON Resins DPL-862, 828, 826, 825, 1001, EPONEX Resin 1510, HELOXY Modifiers 107, 67, 68, and 32 (EPON, EPONEX and HELOXY are Trade Marks) all available from Shell Chemical Company and Union Carbide Epoxy Resins ERL-4221, -4289, -4299, -4234 and -4206. The carboxylic acid is contacted with the epoxy resin under conditions effective to react the acid group and the epoxide group and to produce epoxy-functional polyethers represented by the formulas: wherein Q is A or B, R is independently a divalent hydrocarbon group, said divalent hydrocarbon groups having 8 to 120 carbon atoms, X and Y are independently a hydrogen, methyl or ethyl group with the provision that if X is methyl or ethyl, Y is hydrogen or if Y is methyl or ethyl, X is hydrogen and m+n+o is a positive real number from 1 to 450, R 2 is a divalent aliphatic group optionally containing ether or ester groups or together with R 3 or R 4 form a spiro ring optionally containing heteroatoms, and R 3 or R 4 are independently hydrogen or R 3 and R 4 together with R 2 form a spiro ring optionally containing heteroatoms such as oxygen. The location of the OH and Q bonding to the cycloaliphatic ring represents the different isomers formed by the cycloaliphatic ring opening reaction. It can be appreciated that the diacid Q moiety can be attached to either para- or meta- position from R 2 or epoxy moiety. Typically, the mole ratio of the carboxylic acid to epoxy resin is within the range of from 1:2, more preferably from 1:3 to 1:20, more preferably to 1:10. The reaction is typically carried out at a temperature from ambient temperature to an elevated temperature sufficient to react the acid group and the epoxide group which is typically within the range of from 25 °C, preferably from 60 °C, to 150 °C, preferably to 130 °C for a time effective to produce the reaction products. The progress of the reaction can be monitored and targeted to produce the desired product by measuring the acid equivalent weight and the epoxy equivalent weight of the reactant mixture. Generally, the reaction mixture is heated until an acid equivalent weight of the mixture indicates that greater or equal than 99% of the original number of equivalents of acid is consumed, and at least an equivalent amount of epoxies is consumed which is generally one hour or greater. For cycloaliphatic epoxies, the monitoring of the course of reaction by following consumption of epoxy alone can be misleading, due to competing homopolymerization of this type of epoxy group. Preferably, this reaction is carried out in the presence of a catalyst. The reaction typically produces a product which contains molecules which result from the condensation of two molecules of diepoxides with one molecule of diacid. as well as other oligomeric species or unreacted epoxide depending on the mole or equivalent ratios of the epoxy resin to the carboxylic acid groups and the amount of time the reaction is allowed to proceed. The reaction may be stopped before completion, in which case monoepoxy monoacid species will be present in the product mixture. Preferably, excess of the epoxy resin (mole ratio of the epoxy resin to carboxylic acid being greater than 2:1) is used to minimize the formation of the polyesterified species. If desired the diepoxide product or a mixture containing predominantly diepoxide product (diepoxide being the largest component in the mixture) can be recovered from the reaction mixture by conventional techniques. The catalysts are bases or metal chelates such as, for example, ammonium compounds, phosphonium compounds, tertiary amines, and phosphines. Examples of more preferred catalysts include, for example, triphenyl- phosphonium acid acetate, ethyltriphenyl phosphonium iodide, benzyldimethylamine, triphenylphosphine, tribu- tylamine, aluminum salicylates, tetramethylammonium hydroxide and the like. The amount of catalyst present is preferably from 0.005, more preferably from 0.01, to 1.0, more preferably to 0.5 weight percent based on the total weight of the epoxy resin and the carboxylic acid. Polyethylene glycols (PEG) used in the examples below were obtained from Aldrich Chemical Co. 2,2, 6, 6-tetra- methyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) used in the examples below was obtained from Aldrich Chemical Co. EPON Resins 826 and 828 (diglycidyl ether of dihydric phenol having epoxy equivalent weight of 187-188) and EPONEX Resin 1510 (a diglycidyl ether of a hydrogenated dihydric phenol having epoxy equivalent weight of 220) were obtained from Shell Chemical Company. EXAMPLE 1 To a 500 ml gas washing bottle, fitted with a condenser was added 100 g of polyethylene glycol (average molecular weight 3400), 5.0 g of TEMPO free radical and 200 ml of methylene chloride. The vessel and its contents were heated to the boiling point by immersing the vessel in a heated water bath. An air sparge of 0.4 1/min. was initiated, then 5.0 g nitric acid was added to the mixture. Temperature and sparging were maintained for 8 hours. The product mixture was then condensed, using a rotovap. The residue was treated with isopropanol to reduce the active oxidants. Most of the oxidant residues were then removed by washing the solid product blend with several portions of acetone. After drying under nitrogen, the solid product exhibited an acid equivalent weight of 1841. EXAMPLE 2 Preparation of α- (Carboxymethyl) - ω (Carboxyethoxy) - poly (oxy-1, 2-ethanediyl) To a 2000 ml, four neck flask, fitted with a stirrer, thermocouple, air sparge tube, condenser and addition funnel, was added 200 grams (0.05 equiv.) of polyethylene glycol of approximately 8000 Mn (Aldrich Chemical Co.), 7.8 grams (0.05 equiv.) of 2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethyl-l-piperi- dinyloxy, free radical (Aldrich Chemical Co., TEMPO, free radical) and 400 grams of dichloromethane. The mixture was heated to reflux, then air was introduced into the mixture through the sparge tube. Next, concentrated nitric acid (7.8 grams) was then added over 17 minutes and the mixture was held at reflux for 8.5 hours. After this time, 220 grams of 2-propanol was added and the mixture stirred briefly. Volatiles were then removed by means of a rotary evaporator. The residue solidified upon cooling. It was ground to a powder and dried in a vacuum oven at 40 °C to a constant weight of 197.8 grams. NMR analysis indicated complete conversion of hydroxyl to carboxyl functionality. The solid possessed an acid equivalent weight of 4220. EXAMPLE 3 Preparation of an epoxy-functional polyether with EPON Resin 826 The diacid obtained in Example 1 was condensed with 10.0 epoxy equivalents of EPON Resin 826 until all acid functionality had been consumed and the WPE of the mixture was 430. n = approx. 75. EXAMPLE 4 Preparation of an epoxy-functional polyether with EPON Resin 828 To a 100 ml, three neck flask equipped with a magnetic stirring bar, condenser, temperature probe and nitrogen seal was added 30 g (0.0071 equivalent) of the acid-functional polyether, 13.3 grams of EPON Resin 828 and 0.22 gram of tetramethylammonium bromide. This mixture was warmed to 140 °C until the epoxide equivalent weight (WPE) of the mixture exceeded 677. The surfactant containing composition was isolated by pouring the contents of the flask into an aluminum pan and allowing it to cool. The WPE of the isolated material was found to be 722. n = 180. EXAMPLE 5 Preparation of an epoxy-functional polyether with EPONEX Resin 1510 To a 100 ml, three neck flask equipped with a magnetic stirring bar, condenser, temperature probe and nitrogen seal was added 30 g (0.0071 equivalent) of the acid-functional polyether, 15.9 grams of EPONEX Resin 1510 and 0.23 gram of tetramethylammonium bromide. This mixture was warmed to 140 °C until the epoxide equivalent weight (WPE) of the mixture exceeded 722. After 20 minutes of heating at 140 °C, the WPE of the mixture was 732. The surfactant containing composition was isolated by pouring the contents of the flask into an aluminum pan and allowing it to cool, n = approx. 180.

Claims: C L A I M S 1. A composition comprising a product produced by reacting (a) a carboxylic acid having the formula: H—Q—H (VI) wherein Q is A or B, X and Y are independently a hydrogen, methyl or ethyl group with the provision that if X is methyl or ethyl, Y is hydrogen or if Y is methyl or ethyl, X is hydrogen, and m+n+o is a positive real number from 1 to 450 and (b) an epoxy resin having a functionality of at least 1.5 epoxide group per molecule in a carboxylic acid to epoxy resin mole ratio of from 1:2 to 1:20. 2. The composition of claim 1 wherein n+m+o is a positive real number from 6 to 200. 3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the epoxy resin has the formula: wherein R* is divalent aliphatic, divalent cycloaliphatic or divalent arylaliphatic group. 4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the epoxy resin is a diglycidyl ether of a dihydric phenol, or a diglycidyl ether of a hydrogenated dihydric phenol. 5. Epoxy-functional polyether having the formula: wherein Q is A or B, R 1 is independently a divalent hydrocarbon group, X and Y are independently a hydrogen, methyl or ethyl group with the provision that if X is methyl or ethyl, Y is hydrogen or if Y is methyl or ethyl, X is hydrogen and m+n+o is a positive real number from 1 to 450, R 2 is a divalent aliphatic group optionally containing ether or ester groups or together with R 3 or R 4 form a spiro ring optionally containing heteroatoms, and R 3 and R 4 are independently hydrogen or R 3 or R 4 together with R 2 form a spiro ring optionally containing heteroatoms such as oxygen. 6. The compound of claim 5 wherein n+m+o is an integer from 6 to 200. 7. A composition comprising a compound according to claim 5 or 6. 8. A method for producing an epoxy-functional polyether comprising reacting a carboxylic acid having the formula: H—Q—H (VI) wherein Q is A or B, X and Y are independently a hydrogen, methyl or ethyl group with the provision that if X is methyl or ethyl, Y is hydrogen or if Y is methyl or ethyl, X is hydrogen, and m+n+o is a positive real number from 1 to 450 and (b) an epoxy resin having a functionality of at least 1.5 epoxide group per molecule in a carboxylic acid to epoxy resin mole ratio of from 1:2 to 1:20 under conditions effective to react the acid group and the epoxide group. 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the carboxylic acid and the epoxy resin are reacted at a temperature within the range of 25 °C to 150 °C in the presence of a base or a metal chelate. 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the carboxylic acid and the epoxy resin are reacted in the presence of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of ammonium compounds, phosphonium compounds, tertiary amines, and phosphines.

Inventors: FRIED HERBERT ELLIOTT, STARK CHARLES JOHN, FRIED, HERBERT, ELLIOTT, STARK, CHARLES, JOHN
Applicants: SHELL INT RESEARCH, SHELL INTERNATIONALE RESEARCH MAATSCHAPPIJ B.V.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: C08G59
IPC codes: C08G59, C08G65, C08L71