Abstract: The invention relates to a process for purification of a polyether polyol which is prepared by ring-opening polymerization of an alkylene oxide in the presence of an initiator having a plurality of active hydrogen atoms and a composite metal cyanide complex catalyst, has a number average molecular weight of at most 10,000 g/mol and contains ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) components having molecular weights of at least 3 times the number average molecular weight, said process comprising filtering the polyether polyol with a membrane having an average pore size of from 0.5 to 80 nm to produce a permeate comprising a purified polyether polyol containing a reduced amount of UHMW components. Further, the invention relates to a process for preparing a polyether polyol from the purified polyether polyol; and to a process for preparing a polyurethane foam.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a polyether polyol comprising: continuously feeding into a reactor which contains a composite metal cyanide complex catalyst and (i) a poly(oxyalkylene) polyol or (ii) a polyether polyol obtainable by the process according to the invention: (a) ethylene oxide, (b) a substituted alkylene oxide corresponding to Formula (I) in which R1, R2, R3 and R4 independently of each other represent hydrogen, a C1-C12-alkyl group and/or a phenyl group, provided that: (I) at least one of the radicals R1 to R4 does not represent hydrogen and (II) one or more methylene groups in any C1-C12-alkyl radical may be replaced by an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, (c) optionally a starter compound having a hydroxyl functionality of from 1 to 8, wherein the weight ratio of the total amount of ethylene oxide fed to the total amount of the substituted alkylene oxide fed is of from 50:50 to 95:5, and wherein the ethylene oxide concentration is below 13,000 parts per million by weight (ppm

Abstract: A process for the production of a polyurethane foam having a resilience of at least 50%, said process comprising reacting (i) a first polyether polyol comprising polyether chains containing no more than 20% ethylene oxide content, and having a primary hydroxyl content of no more than 25%; (ii) a second polyether polyol comprising polyether chains containing at least 50% ethylene oxide content; and (iii) one or more aromatic polyisocyanates, in the presence of one or more catalysts having gelling and/or blowing activities.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a polyether polyol comprising: continuously feeding into a reactor which contains a composite metal cyanide complex catalyst and (i) a poly (oxyalkylene) polyol or (ii) a polyether polyol obtainable by the process according to the invention: (a) ethylene oxide, (b) a substituted alkylene oxide, (c) optionally a starter compound having a hydroxyl functionality of from 1 to 8, wherein the weight ratio of the total amount of ethylene oxide fed to the total amount of the substituted alkylene oxide fed is of from 50:50 to 95:5, and wherein the ethylene oxide concentration is below 13,000 parts per million by weight (ppmw) per minute during continuously feeding ethylene oxide, wherein the ethylene oxide concentration is defined as the weight of ethylene oxide in the reactor based on the total weight of the reactor contents.

Abstract: A process for the production of a polyurethane foam having a resilience of at least 50%, said process comprising reacting (i) a first polyether polyol comprising polyether chains containing no more than 20% ethylene oxide content, and having a primary hydroxyl content of no more than 25%; (ii) a second polyether polyol comprising polyether chains containing at least 50% ethylene oxide content; and (iii) one or more aromatic polyisocyanates, in the presence of one or more catalysts having gelling and/or blowing activities.

Abstract: A process for making a flexible polyurethane foam, the process comprising reacting a polyether polyol with foam-forming reactants to provide said polyurethane foam, wherein said polyether polyol comprises a latent aldehyde content of at least 50 ppm, and/or said polyether polyol is obtainable from ring-opening polymerization of alkylene oxide comprising a free aldehyde content of at least 200 ppm. Foams obtainable by the process, and uses of polyether polyols are also disclosed.

Abstract: A polyether polyol containing composite metal cyanide complex catalyst residue, said polyether polyol having a functionality in the range of from 2.9 to 4.5, a hydroxyl value in the range of from 28 to 42 and containing in the range of from 8 to 60 wt % ethylene oxide moieties randomly distributed throughout the polyether chains.

Abstract: A process for making a flame retardant polyurethane foam, the process comprising reacting a PO based polyol with foam-forming reactants to provide said polyurethane foam, wherein said polyol is prepared by ring-opening polymerization of alkylene oxide in the presence of a composite metal cyanide complex catalyst, and wherein said polyol is either free from EO moieties or comprises EO moieties in an amount of at most 1% w/w.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing alkoxylated alcohols, wherein an alkoxylated alcohol which contains more than 200 parts per million by weight of a Group IA or Group IIA metal ion is contacted with a sulfonic acid. The resulting alkoxylated alcohol may then be sulfated by contacting it with a sulfating agent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the preparation of a polyether polyol, said process comprising polymerising one or more alkylene oxides in the presence of a multimetal cyanide complex catalyst and an initiator compound, wherein the process is carried out in a reactor vessel equipped with means for agitating its contents and the one or more alkylene oxides are supplied to an agitated mixture comprising the multimetal cyanide complex catalyst and the initiator via a feed inlet device, said feed inlet device comprising a sparger. The present invention also provides a reactor system for the preparation of polyols.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a polyurethane foam, wherein a polyether polyol and a polyisocyanate are reacted in the presence of: a blowing agent; of from 1 to 30 ppmw, based on the polyether polyol, of metals derived from a composite metal cyanide complex catalyst; and of from 0.5 to 100 ppmw, based on the polyether polyol, of a phosphoric acid compound comprising a phosphoric acid selected from orthophosphoric acid, polyphosphoric acid and polymetaphosphoric acid, and/or a partial ester of such a phosphoric acid.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of an alkoxylate composition, said process comprising the steps of: (a) introducing into a reactor system one or more compounds with one or more active hydrogen atoms, selected from the group comprising alkanoic acids, alkanoic amides, alkanoic ethanolamides, alcohols and alkylmercaptans, and a double metal cyanide catalyst; (b) contacting the one or more compounds with one or more active hydrogen atoms and the double metal cyanide catalyst with propylene oxide and/or butylene oxide to form a first product mixture comprising double metal cyanide catalyst and compounds formed by the addition of one of more propylene oxide and/or butylene oxide units to the one or more compounds with one or more active hydrogen atoms; and (c) contacting the first product mixture with ethylene oxide to form a second product mixture comprising compounds formed by the addition of one of more ethylene oxide units to the compounds formed in step (b).

Abstract: Process for the preparation of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst comprising a) preparation of a DMC catalyst; b) dispersing the catalyst of step a) in a dispersion agent, yielding a catalyst dispersion; c) allowing sedimentation of part of the catalyst from the catalyst dispersion obtained in step b), yielding a sedimentated catalyst and a dispersed catalyst; d) separating the dispersed catalyst from the sedimentated catalyst.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of polyether polyols, which process involves: (a) contacting a phosphorus containing compound having at least one hydroxyl group with alkylene oxide to obtain alkoxylated initiator, (b) contacting the alkoxylated initiator with further alkylene oxide in the presence of a double metal cyanide complex catalyst.

Abstract: Process comprising treating a double metal cyanide complex catalyst with sound waves and/or electromagnetic radiation, process for polymerising alkylene oxide in which such catalyst is used, and double metal cyanide complex catalyst which catalyst has been treated with sound waves and/or electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: Process comprising treating a double metal cyanide complex catalyst with sound waves and/or electromagnetic radiation, process for polymerising alkylene oxide in which such catalyst is used, and double metal cyanide complex catalyst which catalyst has been treated with sound waves and/or electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, which process involves: (a) combining an aqueous solution of metal salt with an aqueous solution of a metal cyanide salt and reacting these solutions; and (b) recovering the DMC catalyst from the reaction mixture, in which process the DMC catalyst is prepared in the presence of from 0.03 to 0.4 mole of alkaline metal compound, based on amount of metal salt. Further, the present invention relates to DMC catalyst obtainable by such process, to DMC catalyst prepared from a metal salt and a metal cyanide salt in which the molar ratio of metal derived from the metal salt to metal derived from the metal cyanide salt is at least 2.25 and to a process for polymerization of alkylene oxides which process involves reacting initiator with alkylene oxide in the presence of at most 15 ppm of DMC catalyst.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, which process involves:

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, which process involves: (a) combining an aqueous solution of a metal salt with an aqueous solution of a metal cyanide salt and reacting these solutions; and (b) recovering the DMC catalyst from the reaction mixture, in which process the DMC catalyst is prepared in the presence of from 0.03 to 0.4 mole of alkaline metal compound, based on amount of metal salt. Further, the present invention relates to DMC catalyst obtainable by such process, to DMC catalyst prepared from a metal salt and a metal cyanide salt in which the molar ratio of metal derived from the metal salt to metal derived from the metal cyanide salt is at least 2.25 and to a process for polymerization of alkylene oxides which process involves reacting initiator with alkylene oxide in the presence of at most 15 ppm of DMC catalyst.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a DMC catalyst useful in the polymerization of alkylene oxides into polyether polyols, which process having the steps of (a combining an aqueous solution of a metal salt with an aqueous solution of a metal salt with an aqueous solution of a metal cyanide salt and reacting these solutions, wherein at least part of this reaction takes place in the presence of an organic complexing agent, thereby forming a dispersion of a solid DMC complex in an aqueous medium; (b) combining the dispersion obtained in step (a) with a liquid, which is essentially insoluble in water and which is capable of extracting the solid DMC complex formed in step (a) from the aqueous medium, and allowing a two-phase system to be formed consisting of a first aqueous layer and a layer containing the DMC complex and the liquid added; (c) removing the first aqueous layer; and (d) recovering the DMC catalyst from the layer containing the DMC catalyst.