Improved P.I.P. Foams

Title: Foam Composition and its Uses Thereof

 Number/Link: US2014/079940

Applicant/Assignee: MAS RES AND INNOVATION PVT

Publication date: 20-03-2014 (priority PCT)

Gist”: Use of 4 catalysts:  2 ‘normal’ and 2 ‘delayed action’ are used to formulate pour-in-place foams that resist fabric penetration.

Why it is interesting: “Pour in place” or “in situ” foaming is a technique where a flexible foam-forming mixture is poured directly onto fabric to (typically) produce car seats. The fabrics used are often laminated with a thermoplastic film or a layer of polyester PU foam to prevent penetration of the foaming mixtures.  These liners however impair breathability and therefore comfort. The current invention should allow use of liner-free fabrics without strike through. Four different catalysts are used:  a normal gelling catalyst, a normal blowing catalyst a delayed action gelling catalyst and a delayed action blowing catalyst. The delayed action catalysts are conventional amine catalysts reacted with a suitable acid like lactic acid and become active at a temperature of around 50°C. When poured on a fabric-lined and heated mould, a flexible foam mixture formulated with these catalysts should gel imediately and not penetrate the fabric.

Pour-in-place technique:  2: mould, 3 fabric, 7 foam forming mixture.

Pour-in-place technique: 2: mould, 3 fabric, 7 foam forming mixture.

PIPA Polyol Made From “Conventional” Polyol

Title: PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF A POLYOL COMPOSITION

 Number/Link: WO2014/037558

Applicant/Assignee: SHELL

Publication date: 13-03-2014

Gist”: A PIPA polyol is made from TDI,  TELA and a high sec-OH polyol which is added in two stages.

Why it is interesting: PIPA polyols are a class of ‘filled’ polyols containing dispersed polyurethane particles and are often used in flexible foams to improve hardness and air flow. These polyols are usually produced by dispersing an olamine, like triethanolamine (TELA), in an EO-tipped EO/PO polyether polyol and reacting it with isocyanate under mixing.  Producing PIPA polyols from a high secondary-OH containing (“conventional”) polyol, i.e. an all- PO or EO/PO random polyol would have cost advantages but -according to SHELL- results in an unstable polyol which produces closed-celled flexible foam. The trick they invented to solve this problem is to produce the particle dispersion from TELA and TDI in about 50% of the total amount of polyol used and adding the remainder of the polyol in a second step.  Remarkably this simple trick appears to be new and patentable.

Triethanolamine

Triethanolamine

Classic PU Patent of the Month: The First Polyether Foams (1951)

Title: Verfahren zur Herstellung von Kunststoffen

 Number/Link: DE974371 (German)

Applicant/Assignee: Bayer AG

Publication date: 12-08-1960

Gist”: A prepolymer from a polyether polyol and an excess of isocyanate is reacted with water to produce an elastomeric  foam.

Why it is interesting: This patent specifies the first polyether prepolymers and polyether  foams as invented by Otto Bayer and co-workers.  In the examples an all-EO, 4000 MW triol, prepared from trimethylolpropane and  ethylene oxide is reacted with a surplus of TDI resulting in a 3.2% NCO prepolymer.  This prepolymer is reacted with water to form either elastomeric films or elastomeric (flexible) foams. There are only two claims, the first covering  polyether prepolymers, the second covering both “one-shot” and “full prepolymer” water-blown polyether foams:

PATENTANSPRÜCHE:

1. Verfahren zur Herstellung von Kunststoffen,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, daβ Polyglykolather mit
einem Molekulargewicht von mindestens 500 und
mindestens zwei endstandigen Hydroxylgruppen
mit einem Übersehuβ über die berechnete Menge
an polyfunktionellen aliphatischen oder aromatischen
Isocyanaten und die erhaltenen Polyglykolätherisocyanate
mit Verbindungen mit reaktionsfahigem Wasserstoff
umgesetzt werden.

2. Ausführungsform des Verfahrens nach Anspruch
1, insbesondere zur Herstellung von Schaumstoffen,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, daβ als Verbindung
mit reaktionsfahigem Wasserstoff Wasser verwendet
wird und die Umsetzung mit Wasser gleichzeitig
mit der oder anschlieβend an die Umsetzung
der Polyglykolather und polyfunktionellen
Isocyanate erfolgt.

Dr. Otto Bayer

Dr. Otto Bayer

  • Pages

  • Categories

  • Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 259 other subscribers
  • Follow Innovation in PU on Twitter