Flexible Foams Containing PPE Polyols

Title: POLYURETHANE FOAM AND ASSOCIATED METHOD AND ARTICLE

 Number/Link: WO2015/041905

Applicant/Assignee: SABIC

Publication date: 26-03-2015

Gist”: Use of poly(phenylene ether) polyols in flexbile foams

Why it is interesting: As expected Sabic continue their series on the use of poly(phenylene ether) in polyurethane materials. This application is about the use of (some) PPE polyol in flexible foams. The resulting foams are said to have improved hardness, tear- and tensile strength. In the examples 10 to 40% of a PPE diol (on total polyol) is used together with other polyols, MDI or TDI and water as blowing agent, resulting in flexible foams with densities ranging from about 25 to 50 kg/m³. The PPE diol is a copolymer of 2,6-dimethylphenol and 2,2-bis(3,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane with an equivalent weight of about 1000.

PPE diol used in the invention. Q5 and Q6 pare methyl.

PPE diol used in the invention. Q5 and Q6 are methyl groups.

Six (6) Dow Patents on ‘Conventional’ PIPA Polyols

Title: POLYISOCYANATE POLYADDITION POLYOL MANUFACTURING PROCESS USING STABILIZERS  (and 5 more)

 Number/Link: WO2015038825 WO2015038826 WO2015038827 WO2015038828 WO2015038829 WO2015038830

Applicant/Assignee: Dow

Publication date: 19-03-2015

Gist”: PIPA polyols based on conventional polyols and their applications

Why it is interesting: Polyisocyanate polyaddition or PIPA polyols are a type of polymer polyol consisting of a base polyol and dispersed polyurethane particles. These polyols are prepared by dispersing and reacting in situ an isocyanate and a low molecular weight polyol (e.g. triethanolamine) in a ‘base’ polyol. The reaction is balanced such, that a controlled amount of grafting of the base polyol onto the PU particles results, which stabilizes the dispersion. The need for grafting is the reason why PIPA polyols are always based on EO-tipped (high primary OH) polyols, limiting their use mainly to the production high resilience (HR) foams. The current inventions by Dow devise ways to make PIPA polyols in ‘conventional’ (i.e. low primary OH) polyols either by the use of specific stabilizers (in the WO..25 application) or by pre-reacting part of the iso with the base-polyol before adding the low MW polyol (in the WO..26 application). The WO..27 to WO..29 applications are concerned with the use of these ‘conventional’ PIPA polyols to prepare conventional-, viscoleastic- and combustion modified flexible foams respectively.  W0..30 is concerned with thixotropic PIPA polyols based on urethane-modified isocyanurates.

Flexible foam blocks

Flexible foam blocks

 

Classic PU Patent of the Month: Bayer on Viscoelastic Flexible Foams (1988)

Title: Process for the preparation of cold-hardening flexible polyurethane foams having excellent deadening properties.

 Number/Link: EP0331941

Applicant/Assignee: Bayer

Publication date: 13-09-1989

Gist”: Highly damping flexible foams are made using a mixture of three specific polyols.

Why it is interesting: “Visco” or “memory” foams are currently known especially for their use in matresses and pillows.  Originally however these “dead” foams were developed as vibration damping materials for acoustic applications. The invention is based on the use of three specific polyols: (a) a ‘normal’ PO/EO-tipped triol with a hydroxyl value of about 28, (b) a ‘rigid’ all-PO triol with OHv of about 350 and (c) a ‘high EO’ triol with an EO content of about 75% and OHv of 36. The polyols are used in a ratio of about 25:15:60 (a:b:c) together with either TDI or MDI. Because the polyols are relatively immiscible the resulting foams have a soft-phase glass transition which is ‘smeared’ out over a temperature range controlled by polyol (a) at the low end and by (c) at the high end – ranging e.g. from -30°C to +10°C. This wide glass transition in turn results in a very wide damping frequency range.  A very clever idea that has been copied many times.

Polyurethane "memory foam"

Polyurethane “memory foam”

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