Patent Title: POLYOL COMPOSITION FOR PRODUCING FLEXIBLE POLYURETHANE FOAM..

 Number/Link: US20160304689

Applicant/Assignee: Toyo Tire & Rubber

Publication date: 20-10-2016

“Gist”: Polyrotaxanes in PU foam reduces ‘wobble’ when used in car seats

Why it is interesting: The use of polyrotaxanes in polyurethanes is not new and has been discussed before in this blog.  According to the current invention polyrotaxanes with OH-functional rings can be incorporated in flexible foams, where they are said to reduce tensile stress while having little impact on compressive properties. When these foams are used in (e.g.) vehicle seats that are subject to low frequency sideways vibrations, they should reduce the sense of “wobble” of the occupants. The theory is that under tension the rings slide along the axis molecule equalizing stresses. In the examples polyrotaxanes with 11000 to 20000 molecular weight PEG axis molecules are used with cyclodextrin rings having an OHv of 43 to 85.

Polyrotaxane-crosslinked polyurethane under stress (schematic)