Compositions – Chemically interactive reactants – With stabilizer or inhibitor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-03
2002-12-17
Yoon, Tae H. (Department: 1714)
Compositions
Chemically interactive reactants
With stabilizer or inhibitor
C525S267000, C526S083000, C526S084000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06495065
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a composition for shortstopping free radical emulsion polymerizations and which inhibits the formation of nitrosamines, and a method using such compositions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In summary, the prior art in this area discloses methods of reducing the level of nitrosamines in both rubber latexes and cured rubber products. For rubber latexes, efforts have focused on the use of alternative alkylhydroxylamine shortstoppers that do not contain and generate nitrosamine precursors (e.g., secondary or tertiary alkylamines). Such shortstoppers include N-isopropylhydroxylamine (NiPHA) or salts thereof, optionally mixed with polysulphide compounds. The use of NiPHA-based shortstoppers greatly reduces the level of nitrosamines in rubber latexes, but it presents new problems, typically, a lack of overhead popcorn (namely undesired polymer) protection. As for cured rubber compositions, alternative vulcanization accelerators have been proposed which result in reduced nitrosamine formation, and various nitrosamine inhibitors have been incorporated into the formulation of rubber vulcanizers. These previous inventions include the following:
Chasar, D. W.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,130 1991 (The B. F. Goodrich Company) disclosed the use of alkaline earth oxide or hydroxide to reduce nitrosamines level in cured rubber compositions.
Bao, T. B.; Loeppky, R. N.;
Chem. Res. Toxicol.
4, 382-9, 1991 described the use of polymers that contain nitrosation-reactive functional groups to block the nitrosation of morpholine by nitrous acid. Examples of such polymers include polyethylenimine and its derivatives.
Eisenbrand, G.; DE Patent No. # 3,939,474 1991 (Fed. Rep. Ger.) disclosed the use of polyethyleneimine to inhibit the formation of nitrosamines such as N-nitrosodiethanolamine in hydraulic fluids, and cosmetic/lubricant formulations.
Schmieder, H.; Naundorf, D.; Huehn, G.; Bertram, M.; DD Patent # 295,646 1992 (Buna A.-G., Germany) described a method of preparing synthetic rubber with greatly reduced level of carcinogenic nitrosamines. Such rubber latexes were prepared by emulsion polymerization of butadiene and optionally acrylonitrile or styrene in the presence of a reducing sulfonyl compound.
Thoermer, J.; Scholl, T.; EP Patent # 0,482,470 1992 (Bayer A.-G., Germany) described a method of inhibiting nitrosamine formation during vulcanization of rubber. The method involved the use of half esters of maleic or fumaric acid or their salts as nitrosamine inhibitors.
De Vries, S. M.; Willemsen, J. A. M.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,164 1993 (Shell Oil Company) disclosed a process of shortstopping free radical polymerizations using alkali metal polysulphides. Such shortstoppers did not lead to the generation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the polymeric product.
Lattime, R. R.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,372 1995 (The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company) disclosed a method of shortstopping free radical emulsion polymerizations that does not lead to the generation of volatile nitrosamines. The shortstopper was isopropylhydroxylamine or salts thereof. Specific claims were made for such shortstoppers in the emulsion process of preparing synthetic rubber latexes where the formation of nitrosamines was suppressed in the rubber latexes.
Maestri, P.; Presti, A. L.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,168 1996 (Enichem Elastomeri S.r.l.) described a method of shortstopping emulsion polymerizations of conjugated dienes and optionally vinyl aromatic compounds. The disclosed method used a composite of isopropylhydroxylamine (or salts thereof) and sodium polysulfide as shortstopper where such composites did not result in nitrosamines in the polymeric product.
Stein, G.; von Arndt, E.-M.; EP Patent # 0,727,458 1996 (Firma Carl Freudenberg, Germany)disclosed the use of mono- or polyisocyanate to suppress the generation of nitrosamines during rubber processing. Such isocyanate compounds inhibit the formation of amines and thus nitrosamines.
Gibbs, H. W.; Butcher, D. M. E.; Tate, P. E. R.; Sexton, G. P.; WO Patent # 9,732, 927 1997 (Rhone-Poulenc Chemicals Ltd., UK) described a process of inhibiting the formation of nitrosamines during vulcanization of rubber using an alkaline earth metal carboxylate or phenylate. Such compounds are incorporated into the rubber vulcanization formulation to suppress the nitrosamine formation.
Additionally in the prior art, for most emulsion processes, especially those of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) latexes, DEHA (often with a secondary shortstopper such as SDDC) has been widely used due to its unique shortstopping performance. A major problem associated with the use of DEHA is the possible generation of nitrosamines, as DEHA may contain (as an impurity) or generate secondary/tertiary amines that are nitrosamine precursors. In order to overcome this problem, some replacements such as NiPHA have been proposed which do not produce nitrosamines in rubber latexes. Such replacements, however, do not prevent popcorn formation in the vapor phase, and as a result, DEHA is often supplemented to enhance the vapor phase popcorn protection. The present shortstopping technology is novel in that nitrosamine inhibitors are formulated into shortstoppers so that conventional alkylhydroxylamines such as DEHA could be used to shortstop emulsion polymerizations without generating nitrosamines.
As DEHA and its like appear to be the most widely used shortstopper in the modern rubber industry, the possible generation of nitrosamines could be a severe problem with previous shortstopping compositions. The present invention represents an advance in shortstopping technology in that the presence of nitrosamine inhibitors allows the exploitation of many unique characteristics of DEHA and other shortstoppers without leading to nitrosamines in rubber latexes.
The objective of this invention is to develop improved shortstopping compositions which allow the use of traditional dialkylhydroxylamines such as DEHA but inhibit the formation of nitrosamines. Such compositions are based on the use of nitrosamine inhibitors that effectively remove nitrosating species from the polymerization system, and these inhibitors can be retained in the rubber latex to suppress the formation of nitrosamines not only in the emulsion but also in the subsequent operating phases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention discloses an advanced shortstopping technology where nitrosamine inhibitors are formulated into shortstopping compositions. Such inhibitors include compounds based on primary amines, amine-containing polymers, certain phenols, and other well-known nitrosation inhibitors; they allow the use of conventional shortstoppers such as DEHA without generating nitrosamines.
Examples of the disclosed inhibitors include mono-(C2-C16)alkylamine, polyethylenimine (PEI) and its derivatives, pyrrole (or indole) and its derivatives, hydroquinone (or catechol) and its derivatives, ascorbic acid and its derivatives, and polyoxymethylene and its derivatives.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention distinguishes itself from previous disclosures in that nitrosamine inhibitors are incorporated into the shortstopping compositions, and these inhibitors are introduced to rubber latexes during polymerization, rather than to vulcanization formulations during rubber processing. The presence of nitrosamine inhibitors in the shortstopping compositions allows the use of conventional diethylhydroxylamine (DEHA) as well as some other shortstoppers that may contain or produce secondary or tertiary alkylamines without formation of nitrosamines; it presents a tremendous advance in shortstopping technology where many advantages of such shortstoppers can be exploited.
While not intending to limit the scope of invention, we believe that the underlying chemistry of these nitrosamine inhibitors could involve (1) conversion of nitrosating species into small molecules without nitrosation capability, (2) conversion of nitrosating species into heavy nitrosamines that are not
Buszta Thomas S.
Gernon Michael D.
Lou Jianfeng
Atofina Chemicals, Inc.
Rudman Gilbert W.
Yoon Tae H.
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