Acetals, their preparation and their use

• US 6,235,956 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1998
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Institut Francais Du Petrole
• Original Assignee: Institut Francais Du Petrole
• Inventors: Saussine, Lucien, Forestiere, Alain, Commereuc, Dominique, Hugues, François
• Primary Examiner(s): KEYS, ROSALYND ANN
• Application Number:
  US09/217,584
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 568/594, 568/591, 549/206, 549/210, 549/472, 549/502, 502/172, 502/171, 502/169, 585/511, 585/520
• US Class Current: 585/511
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 43/303 having acetal carbon atoms bound to acyclic carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 307/12 Radicals substituted by oxygen atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C07F 7/003 without C-Metal linkages

Abstract

An acetal, wherein the acetal is 2,2-di(tetrahydrofurfuryloxy)propane as well as processed for producing the acetal and methods of using the acetal.

Claims

1. An acetal, wherein the acetal is 2,2-di(tetrahydrofurfuryloxy)propane.

2. A process for producing an acetal according to claim 1, comprising transacetalyzing 2,2-di(methoxy)propane with n-tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol.

3. A complex of an acetal according to claim 1 with a zirconium compound.

4. A complex according to claim 3 with a zirconium halide.

5. A complex of an acetal according to claim 3 with zirconium tetrachloride.

6. A complex of an acetal according to claim 3, wherein the zirconium compound is an oxycarboxylate derivative or a ZrR′

₄ derivative where R′

is an alkoxy group with formula R″

O, or an amido group with formula R″

₂N or a carboxylate group with formula R″

COO, where R″

is a hydrocarbyl group or an alkyl group.

7. In a catalytic process for oligomerizing ethylene to alpha-olefins, the improvement wherein the catalyst is a complex according to claim 3.

8. A complex of an acetal according to claim 6, wherein the hydrocarbyl group or the alkyl group of R″

contains 1 to 30 carbon atoms.