Title: HOMOGENEOUS EXTRUDED ARTICLES MADE FROM THERMOPLASTICALLY PROCESSABLE POLYURETHANES BASED ON POLYESTER DIOLS FORMED FROM SUCCINIC ACID AND 1,3-PROPANEDIOL
Number/Link: US2014/0256902
Applicant/Assignee: Bayer
Publication date: 11-09-2014 (priority PCT)
“Gist”: TPU based on polyester diols prepared from succinic acid and propandiol
Why it is interesting: The use of biorenewable raw materials is no longer a curiosity in polyurethane production. Especially natural oil-based polyols are currently fashionable in newly developed products. These ‘NOPs’ are however not very suitable for the production of thermoplastic polyurethanes. According to the current invention (partly) bio-renewable TPUs can be produced from polyester diols based on succinic acid and 1,3-propanediol. Both these monomers can be produced by fermentation of carbohydrates. 1,3-propanediol is produced on industrial scale by DuPont through fermentation of corn syrup using genetically modified E.Coli bacteria (“Bio-PDO”). In the examples PDO-succinate polyester diols with MW from 1000 to 2000 are used together with 4,4′-MDI and 1,4-butanediol to produce TPUs with shore hardness ranging from 85 to 94A and Tg’s from -18 to +11°C.
Succinic acid or butanedioic acid.
Innovation in Polyurethanes 
Geert Bleys
/ September 17, 2014Hello Martyn,
I am not so sure about that. The polyol as such is not new and TPU made from it probably neither but they also inlcude the hardness in the claims which makes it more difficult to refute. Especially if the monomers need to be ‘bio-based’.
The future will tell!
Best regards
Geert
Martyn \(CSL\)
/ September 17, 2014Hi Geert ; Surely this will not be granted ? !!
Regards
Martyn