Suspensions of multimetal cyanide compounds, their preparation and their use

Abstract

Catalyst suspensions for the ring-opening polymerization of alkylene oxides comprise a) at least one multimetal cyanide compound having a crystalline structure and a content of platelet-shaped particles of at least 30% by weight, based on the multimetal cyanide compound, and b) at least one organic complexing agent c) water and/or d) at least one polyether and/or e) at least one surface-active substance, with the proviso that at least component a) and at least two of the components b) to e) have to be present.

1 - 12 . (canceled)  
     
     
         13 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols by ring-opening polymerization of alkylene oxides in the presence of a catalyst suspension comprising: 
 a) at least one multimetal cyanide compound having a crystalline structure and a content of platelet-shaped particles of at least 30% by weight, based on the multimetal cyanide compound, and/or    b) at least one organic complexing agent    c) water and/or    d) at least one polyether and    e) at least one surface-active substance, with the proviso that at least components a), d) and e) and at least one of the components b) and c) have to be present wherein d) and e) are not the same components.    
     
     
         14 . (canceled)  
     
     
         15 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the at least one multimetal cyanide compound a) has a cubic crystal structure.  
     
     
         16 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the at least one multimetal cyanide compound a) has a tetragonal crystal structure.  
     
     
         17 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the at least one multimetal cyanide compound a) has an orthorhombic crystal structure.  
     
     
         18 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the at least one multimetal cyanide compound a) has a hexagonal crystal structure.  
     
     
         19 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the at least one multimetal cyanide compound a) has a trigonal crystal structure.  
     
     
         20 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the at least one multimetal cyanide compound a) has a monoclinic crystal structure.  
     
     
         21 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the at least one multimetal cyanide compound a) has a triclinic crystal structure.  
     
     
         22 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the organic complexing agent b) is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ethers, esters, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, amides, nitriles, sulfides and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         23 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the polyether d) is a polyetherol.  
     
     
         24 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols as set forth in  claim 23 , wherein the polyetherol is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl-containing polyaddition products of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, vinyloxirane, tetrahydrofuran, 1,1,2-trimethylene oxide, diisobutylene oxide, α-methylstyrene oxide, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         25 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the surface-active substances e) are selected from the group consisting of C 4 -C 60 -alcohol alkoxylates, block copolymers of alkylene oxides of differing hydrophilicity, alkoxylates of fatty acids and fatty acid glycerides, block copolymers of alkylene oxides and polymerizable acids and esters.  
     
     
         26 . A process for preparing polyether alcohols as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the content of the platelet-shaped particles includes primary particles having a length and a width that are at least three times greater than a thickness of the primary particles.  
     
     
         27 . A polyether alcohol prepared as claimed in  claim 13.