Method of manufacture of polyacrolein

• US 7,767,766 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chemeq Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Chemeq Ltd.
• Inventors: Tilbrook, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Cano; Milton I
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mesh; Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US10/577,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 Days
• Field of Search: 525/326.1, 525/328.7, 525/384, 528/230
• US Class Current: 525/328.7
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 2300/00 Combinations or mixtures of active ingredients covered by classes A01N27/00 - A01N65/48 with other active or formulation relevant ingredients, e.g. specific carrier materials or surfactants, covered by classes A01N25/00 - A01N65/48
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 31/02 Acyclic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 35/02 containing aliphatically bound aldehyde or keto groups, or thio analogues thereof; Derivatives thereof, e.g. acetals
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 61/00 Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing substances of unknown or undetermined composition, e.g. substances characterised only by the mode of action
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/78 of acrylic acid or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/04 Antibacterial agents
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 16/34 by an aldehydo radical
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Abstract

A method of manufacture of soluble, microbiologically active and stable acrolein polymer comprising: (a) polymerising acrolein in the presence of base to form a polymer of acrolein; (b) dissolving the polymer of acrolein in an alcohol selected from monoalcohols and polyols optionally with addition of water to form an alcohol solution of the polymer of acrolein; (c) heating the alcohol solution of the polymer of acrolein; and (d) mixing base with the polymer of acrolein.

Claims

1. A method of manufacture of a soluble, microbiologically active and stable acrolein polymer comprising the following steps in sequence:

(a) polymerising acrolein in the presence of base to form a polymer of acrolein;

(b) dissolving the polymer of acrolein in an alcohol selected from monoalcohols and polyols optionally with addition of water to form an alcohol solution of the polymer of acrolein, and providing a pH of no more than 7, wherein the polymer of acrolein is not subject to heating in air before dissolving in alcohol;

(c) heating the alcohol solution of the polymer of acrolein of pH of no more than 7, to a temperature in the range of from 40 to 105°

C., to react the polymer of acrolein with the alcohol; and

(d) mixing base with the polymer of acrolein, wherein the polymer product of said method does not precipitate when further diluted by water by a factor of one in ten parts by volume.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the polymer of acrolein comprises a co-monomer in an amount of up to 10% by weight of the total monomer composition.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the polymer of acrolein is a homopolymer.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the polymer of acrolein is collected from the polymerisation reaction as a precipitate and dissolved in the alcohol.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the polymer of acrolein is isolated as a solid from the step of polymerisation in the presence of base.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said heating step is carried out at a temperature in the range of from 40 to 90°

C.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein alcohol is a polyalkylene glycol.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said heating step is carried out at a temperature in the range from 50 to 105°

C., for a period in the range of from fifteen minutes to five hours.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the polymer of acrolein dissolved in the alcohol in step (b) has an acid content of less than 1 mole of carboxyl groups per kilogram of polymer.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said acid content is less than 0.5 mole carboxyl groups per kilogram of polymer.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the base is added to the alcohol solution following said heating step.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the pH of the resulting solution is in the range of from 7 to 9.5.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the pH of the resulting solution is in the range of from 7.5 to 8.5.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of alkali metal carbonate, alkali metal hydroxide, and mixtures thereof.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the base comprises sodium carbonate and/or potassium carbonate.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the polymer of acrolein used in the step of heating in the alcohol is in a concentration in the alcohol of from 0.5 to 50% by weight.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the concentration is from 0.5 to 40% by weight.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol is polyethylene glycol and is present at a concentration in the range of from 5 to 90% by weight.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol is a polyethylene glycol of molecular weight in the range of from 200 to 20,000.