Abstract: The invention relates to a catalyst system that is suitable for catalyzing the production of polyurethane foams. The catalyst system is characterized in that said system contains a metal salt of an alcohol that is modified with an acid end group.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the process for production of a polyol from palm oil and of rigid polyurethane foams prepared from said polyol derived from palm oil. On the one hand, this invention provides a method for obtaining monomeric polyols from palm oil that have hydroxyl number between 50 450 mgKOH/g sample. The polyols of the present application may be obtained by means of a procedure based on the following four mother routes: Route 1: maleinisation of the fatty acids of palm oil; Route 2: glycerolysis of palm oil; Route 3: trancesterification of palm oil; and Route 4: epoxidation of unsaturated carbon-carbon links of palm oil. Additionally, other modalities of the invention permit obtaining polyols from the combination of these mother routes. In other realizations of the invention polyurethanes are prepared from polyols obtained through any of the four routes or by combinations of the same.

Abstract: We have now discovered a novel process for the removal or extraction of metal species from a variety of solid, liquid or gas phase materials. Metal species may be removed by contacting the material suspected of containing one or more metals with a thiolated fatty acid or ester thereof for a period of time and under conditions effective for the sequestration of the metal species by the thiolated fatty acid or ester thereof. The thiolated fatty acid or ester thereof comprising sequestered metal species may then be separated and recovered from the treated material. Moreover, following the treatment of aqueous liquids or mixtures, or suspensions or dispersions of solids in aqueous liquids, the resultant thiolated fatty acid or ester thereof comprising the sequestered metal species is insoluble in water and forms a separate layer from the aqueous liquid phase, which layer may be readily removed.

Abstract: A process for the production of a solid metal soap of the formulaM(R--COO)(R"--COO)in which M is at least one metal from the group of Ca, Mg, Cd, Ba, Zn, and Pb; and R and R' are C.sub.8 -C.sub.34 hydrocarbon radicals, by direct synthesis from at least one fatty acid with metal oxides and/or metal hydroxides which comprises maintaining a reaction zone containing a liquid phase comprising fatty acid under reduced pressure, passing a portion of the liquid phase to an external premixing zone, introducing a solid metal oxide and/or metal hydroxide into the liquid phase in the premixing zone, passing the mixture to the reaction zone through an intensive mixing zone, and continuously removing water of neutralization formed by the reaction.

Abstract: A continuous process for preparing a metallic soap by a double decomposition process is disclosed, in which an aqueous solution of an alkali soap and an inorganic metal salt are separately fed directly on the surface of the rotating impeller of a mixer to instantaneously mix them together and the resulting metallic soap aqueous slurry is discharged out from the mixer without delay. Metallic soaps free from contamination with unreacted starting materials or by-products can be continuously obtained using small-sized reactor vessels with a reduced energy.