TPU from Biorenewable Isocyanate

Patent Title: BIO-BASED DIISOCYANATE AND CHAIN EXTENDERS IN CRYSTALLINE SEGMENTED THERMOPLASTIC POLYESTER URETHANES

 Number/Link: WO2016041076

Applicant/Assignee: Trent University

Publication date: 24-03-2016

Gist”:  TPU with highly crystalline hard segment is based on 1,7 heptamethylenediisocyanate

Why it is interesting: According to this application, polyester TPUs with crystalline hard segments can be produced using 1,7-heptamethylenediisocyanate. The HPMDI is reacted with a 2000MW poly(ethyleneadipate) diol and a short chain diol as chain extender. The  TPUs show a high hard-segment crystallinity, resulting in improved phase separation and in a (semi-)crystalline softphase which has a significant reinforcement effect. The TPUs are thermally stable up to 250°C and show a toughness and strength comparable to conventional TPUs. HPMDI can reportedly be made from natural oils using the Curtius rearrangement – but no reference is given.

Curtius Rearrangment

Curtius Rearrangment

Vinyl-Functional UV-Curable Polyurethanes

Patent Title: ALKENYL ETHER POLYOLS

 Number/Link: WO2016038112 (German)

Applicant/Assignee: Henkel

Publication date: 17-03-2016

Gist”: Alkenylether-functional polyols are used in oligomeric PU adhesives.

Why it is interesting: Alkenylether-functional groups are highly reactive and can be cured by UV-initiated cationic polymerization. This has the advantage of being unsensitive to oxigen which allows for so-called “dark cure”, i.e. the continuing polymerization after a first pulse of UV light. According to this invention, vinyl functional polyols are prepared by polymerizing a hydroxyl- or amine functional vinyl ether, e.g. 4-hydroxybutylvinylether (HBVE) or 3-aminopropylvinylether with epoxides or cyclocarbonates. The polyols can then be reacted with isocyanates resulting in UV curable polyurethanes.  In an example HBVE is reacted with 1,4-butanedioldiglycidylether to make the vinyl-functional polyol which is then further reacted with isophorondiisocyanate to make the PU adhesive.

1,4-butandioldiglycidylether

1,4-butandioldiglycidylether

Novel Polyurethane Gels

Patent Title: POLYURETHANE BASED GEL COMPOSITION

 Number/Link: W016/036786

Applicant/Assignee: Dow

Publication date: 10-03-2016

Gist”: PU gels are made from MDI prepolymer, high EO polyol and some diamine at low NCO index.

Why it is interesting: Polyurethane gels are well known and are sometimes used in comfort cushioning as layers or dispersed as particles in e.g. viscoelastic matresses. According to this invention plasticizer-free gels can be made by reacting a slightly branched, low NCO prepolymer ( based on 2,4′ and 4,4′ MDI and a high EO polyol), with a large amount of high EO polyol (triol or higher) and some amine-ended low mole-weight diol.
Although the material is said to be ‘plasticizer-free’not all of the polyol will be reacted at low NCO index.  However, because of its high polarity, the unreacted polyol will probably not leach.

A Polyurethane Gel

A Polyurethane Gel

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