Abstract: It has been discovered that particular flexible polyurethane foam formulations having a chlorinated alkane incorporated therein have the advantage of improved combustion resistance, but also unexpectedly the additional advantages of improved durability (dynamic fatigue), and better processing in terms of a delayed onset of gel. These results were surprisingly achieved with the use of a chlorinated alkane as the sole component to improve combustion resistance. Incorporation of as much as 34 parts of chlorinated alkane per hundred parts of polyol have been accomplished.

Abstract: It has been discovered that a particular polyurethane formulation may be used to prepare "pour-in-place" (PIP) polyurethane foam articles where the formulation is injected into a mold bearing an exterior covering such as a fabric without the foaming liquid striking through the layer. The formulation employs a hydrophilic polyhydric compound to help the reactivity balance that minimizes penetration of the exterior covering while also stabilizing the rising foam against shear collapse without excessively tightening the foam. Contrary to the conventional expectation that the hydrophilic polyhydric compound would cause strike through problems since it delays the initial reaction time, it has been found to have the noted stabilizing effect. A preferred hydrophilic polyhydric compound is glycerine. A preferred isocyanate for the formulation is tolylene diisocyanate (TDI), in contrast to diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) heretofore used in PIP foams.

Abstract: A stabilizer for polymer/polyols characterized by four key features: (1) prepared from a starting polyol having a functionality greater than 4; (2) having at least 60% retained unsaturation; (3) having a viscosity greater than 2000 cSt; and (4) prepared where the starting polyol is capped with alkylene oxide and/or the adduct formed between the starting polyol and the reactive unsaturated compound is capped with ethylene oxide.