Catalyst composition for a polyester manufacturing process

Abstract

A catalyst composition for a polyester manufacturing process, comprising a titanium catalyst and/or an antimony catalyst as main catalyst, and either(i) at least one co-catalyst A, or(ii) at least one co-catalyst Band at least one co-catalyst C, or(iii) a combination thereof, andwherein co-catalyst A is selected from the group consisting of a metal salt of an alkyl or an aryl phosphinic acid, or a metal salt of an alkyl or aryl diphosphinic acid, or a combination thereof, and co-catalyst B is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl or aryl phosphinic acid, an alkyl or aryl diphosphinic acid a combination thereof, and co-catalyst C selected from the group of a metal salt, a metal hydroxide or a metal organyl compound.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A catalyst composition for a polyester manufacturing process, comprising
 a titanium catalyst and/or an antimony catalyst as a main catalyst, and either   (i) at least one co-catalyst A, or   (ii) at least one co-catalyst B and at least one co-catalyst C, or   (iii) a combination of at least one co-catalyst A, at least one co-catalyst B and at least one co-catalyst C, and wherein   the co-catalyst A is selected from the group consisting of a metal salt of an alkyl or an aryl phosphinic acid, or a metal salt of an alkyl or aryl diphosphinic acid and a combination thereof, and   the co-catalyst B is selected from the group consisting of an alkyl or aryl phosphinic acid, an alkyl or aryl diphosphinic acid and a combination thereof, and   the co-catalyst C is selected from the group consisting of a metal salt, a metal hydroxide and a metal organyl compound.   
     
     
         17 . The catalyst composition according to  claim 16 , comprising
 a titanium catalyst and/or an antimony catalyst as the main catalyst,   the at least one co-catalyst A, and   optionally the co-catalyst C.   
     
     
         18 . The catalyst composition according to  claim 16 , wherein the co-catalyst A is selected from the group consisting of compounds of formula (I) and (II) 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein
 R 1 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are each independently from each other a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C 1  to C 6  alkyl and/or or an aryl residue residues and are the same or different from each other, and 
 R 5  is a C 1  to C 12  a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated alkylene, a C 6  to C 18  arylene, a C 6  to C 18  alkyl arylene or a C 6  to C 18  arylalkylene, 
 M is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, cobalt and zinc ions, 
 m is 2, 3 or 4, and 
 n is 1 or 2. 
 
     
     
         19 . The catalyst composition according to  claim 16 , wherein the co-catalyst B is selected from the group consisting of compounds of formula (III) and (IV) 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein
 R 1 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are each independently from each other a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C 1  to C 6  alkyl and/or or an aryl residue residues and are the same or different from each other, and 
 R 5  is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C 1  to C 12  alkylene, a C 6  to C 18  arylene, a C 6  to C 18  alkyl arylene or a C 6  to C 18  arylalkylene. 
 
     
     
         20 . The catalyst composition according to  claim 16 , wherein the co-catalyst C is selected from the group consisting of zinc acetate, zinc chloride, zinc nitrate, zinc sulfate, aluminum chloride, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum acetate, aluminum hydroxychloride, cobalt acetate, cobalt nitrate, cobalt chloride, cobalt acetylacetonate, cobalt naphthenate, cobalt hydroxide, cobalt salicate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The catalyst composition according to  claim 18 , wherein the co-catalyst B is selected from the group consisting of compounds of formula (III) and (IV) 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein R 5  is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C 1  to C 12  alkylene, a C 6  to C 18  arylene, a C 6  to C 18  alkyl arylene or a C 6  to C 18  arylalkylene, and 
         wherein in the compounds of formula (I), (II), (III) and (IV) R 1 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are each independently from each other a linear or branched saturated or unsaturated C 1  to C 6  alkyl residue residues or a phenyl and are the same or different from each other. 
       
     
     
         22 . The catalyst composition according to  claim 21 , wherein in the compounds of formula (I), (II), (III) and (IV) R 1  and R 2  are each independently from each other methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, tert-butyl, n-pentyl and/or or phenyl. 
     
     
         23 . The catalyst composition according to  claim 18 , wherein the co-catalyst B is selected from the group consisting of compounds of formula (III) and (IV) 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are each independently from each other a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C 1  to C 6  alkyl and/or or an aryl residue residues and are the same or different from each other, and 
         wherein in the compounds of formula (II) and (IV) R 5  is selected from the group consisting of methylene, ethylene, n-propylene, isopropylene, n-butylene, tert-butylene, n-pentylene, n-octylene, n-dodecylene, phenylene, methylphenylene, ethylphenylene, tert-butylphenylene, methylnaphthylene, ethylnaphtylene, tert-butylnaphthylene, phenylmethylene, phenylethylene and phenylbutylene. 
       
     
     
         24 . The catalyst composition according to  claim 16 , wherein the co-catalyst A is zinc diethylphosphinate. 
     
     
         25 . The catalyst composition according to  claim 16 , wherein the catalyst system consists of
 a titanium catalyst as the main catalyst,   the at least one co-catalyst B, and   the at least one co-catalyst C, wherein the co-catalyst C is selected from the group consisting of cobalt acetate, cobalt nitrate, cobalt chloride, cobalt acetylacetonate, cobalt naphthenate, cobalt hydroxide, cobalt salicate.   
     
     
         26 . A process of manufacturing a polyester, the process comprising:
 preparing a polyester in the presence of the catalyst composition according to claim  1 .   
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the polyester manufacturing process occurs in the absence of a carboxy compound as a starting compound. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 esterifying a carboxy compound with an alcohol to obtain an esterified mixture; and   polymerizing the esterified mixture at temperatures in the range of 260° C. to 300° C. to obtain the polyester.   
     
     
         29 . A polyester manufactured with the catalyst composition according to  claim 16 . 
     
     
         30 . The polyester of  claim 29 , wherein the polyester is a polyethylene terephthalate.