Ionic liquids in industrial applications: A world of opportunities

I&EC 203

Bernd Weyershausen, bernd.weyershausen@degussa.com, Oligomers&Silicones Industrial Specialties, Degussa AG, Goldschmidtstrasse 100, 45127 Essen, Germany and Peter F. H. Schwab, peter.schwab@degussa.com, Oligomers&Silicones Research Department, Degussa AG, Goldschmidtstrasse 100, 45127 Essen, Germany.
With this presentation we would like to change the perception that Ionic Liquids (ILs) are mainly environmentally safe or ”green” alternatives to conventional organic solvents. In fact, the application potential of ionic liquids is much broader than presumed. Beyond their use as alternative solvents, ILs can be employed as process aids, e.g. in the hydrosilylation of olefins (immobilization of otherwise homogeneous catalysts). Furthermore, due to their unique properties, ILs create many interesting possibilities as performance additives in various materials and applications. In this context, non-imidazolium-based ILs should be of particular interest due to their availability in technical quantities and lower cost compared to their imidazolium-based counterparts. Examples of industrial applications of ILs as performance additives taken from Degussa's ongoing ILs research program will be presented, e.g. the use of ILs as secondary dispersing agents in combination with water-based, universal pigment pastes in problematic solvent-based coatings and paints.