GB1032233A - A process for the production of polyurethane foam materials - Google Patents

Abstract

Polyurethane foam is produced from (i) a compound containing more than 2 hydroxyl groups, (ii) a polyisocyanate, and (iii) a blowing agent, (i) being derived from (a) an unsaturated monocarboxylic acid, (b) 20% of an unsaturated polycarboxylic acid, or a derivative thereof in which the double bond is conjugated with the carbonyl group, and (c) a polyhydric alcohol. Unsaturated monocarboxylic acids may be aliphatic, having at least 6 carbon atoms and an iodine number of at least 15, e.g. oleic, linoleic, linolenic, ricinic or undecylenic acids or acids derived from cottonseed, ground nut, palm kernel, palm, rape seed, soya, tallow, sperm, train, fish or tall oils. Polycarboxylic acids and their derivatives specified are: maleic acid, fumaric acid, maleic anhydride, dimethyl maleate, diethyl fumarate, dimethyl itaconate, aconitric acid and chloromaleic acid. Polyhydric alcohols specified are ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, polyethylene glycols, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, propane-1,3-diols, butane-1,2-, -1,3-, -1,4- and -2,3-diols, hexane-2,5-diol, hexane-1,6-diol, octadecane and octadecane diols, butane- and butine-1,4-diols, glycerol, trimethylol ethane, trimethyllol propane, pentaerythritol, hexane triols, mannitol, sorbitol, glucose, fructose, mannose, cane sugar, invert sugar and solutions thereof in polyalcohols, degraded starch, cyclohexane-1,4 - dimethanol, oxyalkylated hydroquinones, diphenylol alkanes, triethanolamine, hydroxyalkylated ethylene diamines and phenylene diamines and heterocyclic alcohols. In preparing (i) a saturated or aromatic polycarboxylic acid may also be present, e.g. phthalic, terephthalic, sebacic, adipic or succinic acids or dimerized or trimerized fatty acids. (a), (b) and (c) may be interacted simultaneously or (a) and (b) may be interacted first. An esterification or trans-esterification catalyst may be present, e.g. a titanium (iv) alcoholate, lead oxide, Na2CO3 and toluene sulphonic acid. Esterification may be at 150-250 DEG C. An inhibitor, e.g. hydroquinone, tert-butyl catechol or phenthiazine may be present; (i) may be halogenated prior to polyurethane formation, for example by treatment with Cl2 or Br2. The product is then flame-resistant. Blowing agents specified include water. Other polyhydroxy compounds may be used in addition to (i). A catalyst may be used for polyurethane formation. The number of isocyanate groups should equal the sum of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups. Further, isocyanate may be added in a second reaction step. Emulsifiers which may be added include castor oil sulphonate, and foam stabilizers include polysiloxane/polyoxyalkylene block copolymers. Dyes, pigments and flame proofers may also be added. In the examples, the polyesters were prepared under N2. In Example (A8) phthalic anhydride was added to the reaction mixture. For polyurethane formation the following materials were used: N,N,N1,N1 - tetrakis - (2 - hydroxypropyl) ethylene diamine (1-4,7,8), propoxylated phosphoric acid (2-4,7,8), a polyester of adipic acid, phthalic acid and trimethylol propane (3,4), propoxylated ethylene diamine (5), propoxylated trimethylol propane (7), CCl3F(2,5-7), (ClCH2CH2O)3PO(3,4,8), N-methyl - N1 - (2 - diethylaminoethyl) piperazine (1,3,4,8 and 9) and dibutyltin dilaurate (1,3,4,8,9).