Abstract: This invention relates to novel polyol blends, a process for preparing foams with very low resistance to air flow from certain polyol blends and to the resultant foams. The polyol blends comprise one or more monofunctional polyethers having a hydroxyl number of less than 28; one or more polyether polyols having a hydroxyl number of 20 to 240 and containing at least 50% of copolymerized oxyethylene; one or more polyether polyols having a hydroxyl number of 47 to 300 and containing from 5 to 40% of copolymerized oxyethylene; and optionally, one or more polyether polyols having a hydroxyl number of 10 to 45. This process of the invention comprises reacting one or more polyisocyanates, with an isocyanate-reactive component which comprises a specific polyol blend, in the presence of at least one catalyst, at least one surfactant and at least one blowing agent.

Abstract: The present invention provides long chain, active polyether polyols which are characterized by a functionality of 2 to 6 and an equivalent weight of 1000 to 2200 Da. These long chain polyethers comprise the alkoxylation product of (1) a starter composition having an equivalent weight of 350 Da or less, with (2) one or more alkylene oxides, in which up to 20% of ethylene oxide may be added as a cap, in the presence of (3) at least one basic catalyst. Suitable starter compositions (1) comprise the alkoxylation product of (a) a low molecular weight polyether having a functionality of 3 and an equivalent weight of less than 350 Da, (b) at least one low molecular weight starter compound comprising glycerin, and (c) propylene oxide or a mixture of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide, in the presence of (d) at least one double metal cyanide catalyst. A process for preparing these long chain polyether polyols is also disclosed.

Abstract: A polyether polyol based on renewable materials is obtained by the in situ production of a polyether from a hydroxyl group-containing vegetable oil, at least one alkylene oxide and a low molecular weight polyol having at least 2 hydroxyl groups. The polyol is produced by introducing the hydroxyl group-containing vegetable oil, a catalyst and an alkylene oxide to a reactor and initiating the alkoxylation reaction. After the alkoxylation reaction has begun but before the reaction has been 20% completed, the low molecular weight polyol having at least 2 hydroxyl groups is continuously introduced into the reactor. After the in situ made polyether polyol product having the desired molecular weight has been formed, the in situ made polyether polyol is removed from the reactor. These polyether polyols are particularly suitable for the production of flexible polyurethane foams.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved continuous process for the production of low molecular weight polyoxyalkylene polyether polyols. These polyoxyalkylene polyether polyols have a hydroxyl content of from about 3.4 to about 12.1% by weight, and may also be characterized as having an OH number of from about 112 to about 400. The process comprises establishing oxyalkylation conditions in a continuous reactor in the presence of a DMC catalyst; continuously introducing alkylene oxide and a low molecular weight starter into the continuous reactor; recovering a partially oxyalkylated polyether polyol from the reactor; and allowing the recovered partially oxyalkylated polyether polyol to further reactor until the unreacted alkylene oxide content of the mixture is reduced to 0.001% or less by weight.

Abstract: The present invention provides flexible conventional polyurethane foams made from at least one polyisocyanate and at least one vegetable oil alkoxylated in the presence of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, optionally at least one non-vegetable oil-based polyol, generally in the presence of a blowing agent and optionally in the presence of a surfactant, pigment, flame retardant, catalyst or filler. The alkoxylated natural oil must have (a) an ethylene oxide content in the alkoxylated segment greater than 20% by weight, (b) a primary hydroxyl group content of at least 10%, with the sum of (a)+(b) being at least 30% but no greater than 60%, The alkoxylated natural oils are environmentally-friendly, bio-based polyols which can be used to increase the “green” content of polyurethane foams without having detrimental effects on foam properties.

Abstract: Polyols are produced by an alkoxylation process in which a vegetable oil containing hydroxyl functional groups is combined with a DMC catalyst to form a mixture, the DMC catalyst is then activated by adding ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide to the vegetable oil/catalyst mixture, and ethylene oxide and propylene oxide are added to the mixture containing activated DMC catalyst in amounts such that the total of percentage of ethylene oxide in the polyol plus percentage of primary hydroxyl groups in the polyol produced is from 50 to 77% and the percentage of primary hydroxyl groups is at least 30% but less than 50%. These polyols are useful for the production of molded polyurethane foams, particularly, hot-cure molded polyurethane foams.

Abstract: This invention relates to novel polyol blends, a process for preparing foams with very low resistance to air flow from certain polyol blends and to the resultant foams. The polyol blends comprise one or more monofunctional polyethers having a hydroxyl number of less than 28; one or more polyether polyols having a hydroxyl number of 20 to 240 and containing at least 50% of copolymerized oxyethylene; one or more polyether polyols having a hydroxyl number of 47 to 300 and containing from 5 to 40% of copolymerized oxyethylene; and optionally, one or more polyether polyols having a hydroxyl number of 10 to 45. This process of the invention comprises reacting one or more polyisocyanates, with an isocyanate-reactive component which comprises a specific polyol blend, in the presence of at least one catalyst, at least one surfactant and at least one blowing agent.

Abstract: The present invention provides flexible conventional polyurethane foams made from at least one polyisocyanate and at least one vegetable oil alkoxylated in the presence of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, optionally at least one non-vegetable oil-based polyol, generally in the presence of a blowing agent and optionally in the presence of a surfactant, pigment, flame retardant, catalyst or filler. The alkoxylated natural oil must have (a) an ethylene oxide content in the alkoxylated segment greater than 20% by weight, (b) a primary hydroxyl group content of at least 10%, with the sum of (a)+(b) being at least 30% but no greater than 60%, The alkoxylated natural oils are environmentally-friendly, bio-based polyols which can be used to increase the “green” content of polyurethane foams without having detrimental effects on foam properties.

Abstract: Polyether polyols with an OH number of from 15 to 120 mg of KOH/g are produced by (i) introducing a mixture of DMC catalyst and a poly(oxyalkylene)polyol or a mixture of DMC catalyst and a polyether polyol (“heel”) obtainable by the process according to the invention is initially into a reactor and (ii) continuously introducing one (or more) low molecular weight starter compound(s) with a (mixed) hydroxyl functionality of from 2.2 to 6.0 and a mixture composed of a) 73 to 80 parts by weight (per 100 parts by weight of a) plus b)) of ethylene oxide and b) 27 to 20 parts by weight (per 100 parts by weight of a) plus b)) of at least one substituted alkylene oxide corresponding to a specified formula into the mixture from step (i). These polyether polyols are particularly useful for the production of flexible polyurethane foams.

Abstract: This invention relates to novel polyether polyols which are prepared by alkoxylation of renewable resource materials, and particularly cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL), and to a process for the preparation of these novel polyether polyols. This invention also relates to flexible polyurethane foams prepared from these long chain polyether polyols, and to a process for the production of these flexible polyurethane foams.

Abstract: This invention relates to polymer polyols comprising the free-radical polymerization product of a base polyol, at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer, and, optionally, a preformed stabilizer, in the presence of at least one free-radical polymerization initiator and at least one chain transfer agent, in which the base polyol is a natural oil. A process for preparing these polymer polyols is also described. The present invention also relates to a polyurethane foam prepared from these polymer polyols and to a process for the preparation of these polyurethane foams.

Abstract: This invention relates to a one-stage process for the production of polyoxyalkylene containing polyols having equivalent weights of about 150 to about 6000 and functionalities of about 2 to 8. The process comprises (1) mixing (a) an organic compound having a hydroxyl functionality of about 2 to about 8 and an equivalent weight of about 35 to about 575, with (b) a hydroxyl functional compound having an equivalent weight of about 100 to about 6000 and a functionality of about 2 to 8; and (2) alkoxylating the mixture with (c) one or more alkylene oxides, in the presence of (d) one or more double metal cyanide catalysts. Suitable compounds to be used as (a) the organic compound having a hydroxyl functionality of about 2 to about 8 and an equivalent weight of about 35 to about 575 in the present invention include bisphenol-A, Bisphenol TMC, tetrabromobisphenol A, and novolak phenolic resins.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the production of an ethoxylate involving charging a portion of product from a previous preparation (a “heel”) or an ethoxylate to a reactor, optionally, charging from about 0.2 wt. % to an amount equal or greater than the amount of heel of a C1-C56 non-phenolic alcohol to the reactor, charging ethylene oxide to activate a double metal cyanide (“DMC”) catalyst, adding C1-C56 non-phenolic alcohol simultaneously with ethylene oxide for a portion of the process and continuing addition of ethylene oxide following completion of the simultaneous C1-C56 non-phenolic alcohol and ethylene oxide addition. The process of the present invention provides significant improvements in cycle time and safety in producing ethoxylates which may find use in or as surfactants.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the production of an alkylphenol ethoxylate involving charging a portion of product from a previous preparation (a “heel”) or an ethoxylate to a reactor, optionally, charging from about 0.2 wt. % to an amount equal to or greater than the weight of the heel of an alkylphenol starter to the reactor, charging ethylene oxide to activate a double metal cyanide (“DMC”) catalyst, adding the alkylphenol starter simultaneously with ethylene oxide for a portion of the process and continuing ethylene oxide addition following completion of the simultaneous alkylphenol starter and ethylene oxide addition. The process of the present invention provides significant improvements in cycle time and safety in producing ethoxylates which may find use in or as surfactants.

Abstract: This invention relates to novel polyether polyols which are prepared by alkoxylation of renewable resource materials, and particularly cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL), and to a process for the preparation of these novel polyether polyols. This invention also relates to flexible polyurethane foams prepared from these long chain polyether polyols, and to a process for the production of these flexible polyurethane foams.

Abstract: The present invention provides continuous processes for the production of an ethoxylate from a C1-C26 non-phenolic alcohol in the presence of a double metal cyanide (“DMC”) catalyst. The inventive multi-stage continuous process produces an ethoxylate product with an essentially equivalent molecular weight distribution as compared to the same ethoxylate made by basic catalysis. The inventive single-stage continuous process produces ethoxylate products having only a slightly broader molecular weight distribution than the multi-stage process. The products made by the inventive multi-stage continuous process may offer advantages where the ethoxylate product is used in or as a surfactant.

Abstract: The present invention provides continuous processes for the production of an alkylphenol ethoxylate from an alkylphenol in the presence of a double metal cyanide (“DMC”) catalyst. The products made by the inventive continuous processes may offer advantages where the alkylphenol ethoxylate is used in or as a surfactant.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the production of a polyether involving establishing oxyalkylation conditions in an oxyalkylation reactor in the presence of from about 5 ppm to about 1,000 ppm, based on the final polyether weight, of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, continuously introducing into the reactor at least one alkylene oxide and a low molecular weight starter having a number average molecular weight of less than about 300 Daltons (Da) containing from about 200 ppm to about 5,000 ppm water and acidified with from about 10 ppm to about 2,000 ppm of at least one of an inorganic protic mineral acid and an organic acid, and recovering a polyether product having a number average molecular weight of from about 200 Da to about 4,000 Da, wherein the ppm (parts per million) of water and acid are based on the weight of the low molecular weight starter.

Abstract: This invention relates to a one-stage process for the production of polyoxyalkylene containing polyols having equivalent weights of about 150 to about 6000 and functionalities of about 2 to 8. The process comprises (1) mixing (a) an organic compound having a hydroxyl functionality of about 2 to about 8 and an equivalent weight of about 35 to about 575, with (b) a hydroxyl functional compound having an equivalent weight of about 100 to about 6000 and a functionality of about 2 to 8; and (2) alkoxylating the mixture with (c) one or more alkylene oxides, in the presence of (d) one or more double metal cyanide catalysts. Suitable compounds to be used as (a) the organic compound having a hydroxyl functionality of about 2 to about 8 and an equivalent weight of about 35 to about 575 in the present invention include bisphenol-A, Bisphenol TMC, tetrabromobisphenol A, and novolak phenolic resins.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the in-situ production of a blend of a polyether monol and a polyether polyol. This process comprises introducing a monol (Si) and a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst into a reaction vessel, feeding an epoxide mixture into the vessel and allowing the epoxide to react with the initial starter and continuing to polymerize by feeding epoxide until the equivalent weight of the monol reaches the desired level, then continuously adding a polyfunctional starter (Sc) to the reaction vessel while continuing to feed an epoxide mixture, completing addition of the starter, and allowing the mixture to continue to polymerize until the resultant blend of polyether monol and polyether polyol has an average equivalent weight of from about 350 to about 750, and an average functionality of from about 2 to about 4. In-situ polymerized blends of a polyether monol and a polyether polyol are also part of the present invention.