Patent Title: POLYURETHANE MATERIALS FORMED FROM EPOXIDIZED PLANT OILS

 Number/Link: US2017/0081460

Applicant/Assignee: IBM

Publication date: 23-mar-2017

“Gist”: Natural oils are converted into isocyanate-functional polyols and then polymerized

Why it is interesting: Epoxidized vegetable oils are hydrolized and saponified using NaOH, resulting in a mixture of acid-ended polyols. The acid groups are then converted into azides using diphenylphosphoryl azide, which then rearrange into isocyanate groups (Curtius rearrangement).  The isocyanate-ended polyols can be polymerized and further crosslinked using di-isocyanates. The materials are said to be useful as components for acoustic foams, used e.g. in mainframe computers.
This is the second IBM PU patent discussed in this blog. However, I doubt if they have an actual chemistry lab since their examples are “prophetic” rather than real.

Reaction scheme according to the invention