Method of forming and using a bisphenol oil stream

• US 10,442,891 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Baro, Karl Aaron, Gautam, Pankaj Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): Boykin, Terressa
• Application Number:
  US15/951,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20180319932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 528196
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0004 Processes in series
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00042 Features relating to reactants and process fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/0015 Feeding of the particles in the reactor; Evacuation of the particles out of the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 64/04 Aromatic polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 64/205 characterised by the apparatus used
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 64/24 and phenols
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 64/307 and phenols
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 69/00 Compositions of polycarbonates; Compositions of derivatives of polycarbonates

Abstract

In an embodiment, a continuous method of forming a bisphenol A oil comprises forming the bisphenol A oil by mixing a molten bisphenol A and water; wherein the bisphenol A oil comprises 10 to 30 wt % water based on a total weight of the bisphenol A oil and is at a temperature of 100 to 140° C.; flowing at least a portion of the bisphenol A oil through an inline densitometer and measuring a real-time density and a real-time temperature of the bisphenol A oil; determining a real-time concentration of the bisphenol A oil based on said real-time density and said real-time temperature.

Claims

1. A continuous method of forming a bisphenol A oil comprising:

forming the bisphenol A oil by mixing a molten bisphenol A and water;

wherein the bisphenol A oil comprises 10 to 30 wt % water based on a total weight of the bisphenol A oil and is at a temperature of 100 to 140°

C.;

flowing at least a portion of the bisphenol A oil through an inline densitometer and measuring a real-time density and a real-time temperature of the bisphenol A oil;

determining a real-time concentration of the bisphenol A oil based on the real-time density and the real-time temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the real-time concentration of the bisphenol A oil comprises using an experimentally derived calibration curve.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if the real-time concentration is not within a desired range, then the method comprises adjusting a flow rate of at least one of the molten bisphenol A and the water during the forming until the real-time concentration is within the desired range.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding the bisphenol A oil to a polycarbonate polymerization reactor.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising storing the bisphenol A oil prior to adding to the polycarbonate polymerization reactor;

and determining a second real-time concentration of the bisphenol A oil during the adding to the polycarbonate polymerization reactor.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising continuously adjusting an oil stream flowrate of the bisphenol A oil during the adding to the polycarbonate polymerization reactor based on the second real-time concentration.

7. The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein the storing comprises storing for less than or equal to 40 hours, preferably, less than or equal to 25 hours, more preferably, less than or equal to 5 hours.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the molten bisphenol A comprises 99.5 to 99.95 wt % of bisphenol A.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the bisphenol A oil comprises adding the water to a molten bisphenol A stream and mixing in an inline mixer;

or wherein the forming the bisphenol A oil stream comprises adding the water to a mixing tank comprising the molten bisphenol A.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the real-time concentration within 1% of an average value.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising continuously measuring a flow rate of the bisphenol A oil.

12. A method for interfacially polymerizing a polycarbonate, comprising:

adding a bisphenol A oil, a carbonate compound, water, a water immiscible solvent, and a catalyst to an interfacial reactor, wherein the bisphenol A oil comprises bisphenol A and 10 to 30 wt % water based on a total weight of the bisphenol A oil and is at a temperature of 100 to 140°

C.; and

during the adding of the bisphenol A oil,

flowing at least a portion of the bisphenol A oil through an inline densitometer;

measuring a real-time density and a real-time temperature of the bisphenol A oil; and

determining a real-time concentration of the bisphenol A oil based on said real-time density and said real-time temperature; and

interfacially polymerizing the polycarbonate.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising continuously adjusting one or both of an oil stream flowrate of the bisphenol A oil and a carbonate flow rate of the carbonate compound during the adding to the interfacial reactor based on the real-time concentration.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the forming the bisphenol A oil comprises, forming the bisphenol A oil by adding the water at a temperature of 55 to 99°

C., or 80 to 99°

C. to the molten bisphenol A at a temperature of 160 to 220°

C.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the molten bisphenol A comprises 99.5 to 99.95 wt % of bisphenol A.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the forming the bisphenol A oil comprises adding the water to a molten bisphenol A stream and mixing in an inline mixer;

or wherein the forming the bisphenol A oil stream comprises adding the water to a mixing tank comprising the molten bisphenol A.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising maintaining the real-time concentration within 1% of an average value.

18. The method of claim 12, comprising continuously measuring a flow rate of the bisphenol A oil.