Reduced emissions low density spray polyurethane foam

• US 10,106,638 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evonik Operations GmbH (Rag-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Evonik Degussa GmbH
• Inventors: Burdeniuc, Juan Jesus, Tobias, James Douglas, Keller, Renee Jo
• Primary Examiner(s): Rioja, Melissa A
• Application Number:
  US13/556,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20130190415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,282 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/18 containing secondary or tertiary amines or salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/1808 having alkylene polyamine groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/1825 having hydroxy or primary amino groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/1833 having ether, acetal, or orthoester groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/1858 having carbon-to-nitrogen double bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/48 Polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7671 containing only one alkylene bisphenyl group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/0025 rigid
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/005 < 50kg/m3
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/0083 prepared using water as the sole blowing agent

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to make low density and low amine emissions water blown polyurethane foams using a reactive catalyst composition. The method is particularly useful in the preparation of full water blown, low density polyurethane foams having a density in the range of about 6 to about 16 kg/m3. A catalyst composition comprising at least one non-emissive amine catalyst and tetraalkyl guanidine, the method of employing the catalyst composition and a formulation comprising the catalyst composition are disclosed.

Claims

1. A blowing catalyst composition for making a spray polyurethane foam consisting essentially of:

at least one non-emissive catalyst and at least one tetraalkyl guanidine of the following formula;

2. The blowing catalyst composition of claim 1, further comprising a blowing agent composition comprising water.

3. The blowing catalyst composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one tetraalkyl guanidine comprises tetramethyl guanidine.

4. The blowing catalyst composition of claim 1, wherein the amount of the at least one tetraalkyl guanidine in the blowing catalyst composition is sufficient to achieve a Choice Time as measured by a sonar detector of 5.8 seconds or shorter.

5. The blowing catalyst composition of claim 1, further comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of 6-dimethylamino-1-hexanol, (N,N-dimethylaminopropyl-N′

-methyl-N′

-(2-hydroxyethyl)amine, dimethylethanolamine, N,N-bis(3-dimethylamino-propyl)-N-(2-hydroxypropyl) amine, dimethylaminopropylurea, N,N,N′

-trimethyl-N′

-3-aminopropyl-bis(aminoethyl)ether, N,N,N′

-trimethyl-N′

-2-hydroxyethyl-bis(aminoethyl)ether, dimethylaminopropylamine, N-methyl-N-2-hydroxypropyl-piperazine, and any combination thereof.

6. The blowing catalyst composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-emissive catalyst further comprises a non-emissive catalyst selected from the group consisting of (N,N-dimethylaminopropyl-N′

-methyl-N′

-(2-hydroxyethyl)amine, N,N-bis(3-dimethylamino-propyl)-N-(2-hydroxypropyl)amine, dimethylaminopropylurea, N,N,N′

-trimethyl-N′

-3-aminopropyl-bis(aminoethyl)ether, dimethylaminopropylamine, N-methyl-N-2-hydroxypropyl-piperazine, 6-dimethylamino-1-hexanol, and combinations thereof.

8. A method for preparing a spray polyurethane foam, comprising:

contacting at least one polyisocyanate with at least one polyol in the presence of a blowing agent consisting essentially of water, at least one gelling catalyst, and the blowing catalyst composition according to claim 1; and

spraying, thereby producing the rigid polyurethane foam,

wherein the polyurethane foam has a density of about 6 to about 16 Kg/m³ and substantially no amine emissions when measured in accordance with VDA 278.

9. The method of claim 8, further including contacting the at least one polyisocyanate with the at least one polyol at an Isocyanate Index of 20 to 50.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one tetraalkyl guanidine comprises tetramethyl guanidine.

11. A polyurethane foam formulation, comprising:

at least one polyol;

at least one isocyanate;

a blowing agent consisting essentially of water;

a blowing catalyst composition according to claim 1; and

a gelling catalyst.

12. The polyurethane foam formulation of claim 11, further comprising at least one member selected from a group consisting of a surfactant, an emulsifier, a flame retardant, a crosslinker, a cell stabilizer, and combinations thereof.

13. The polyurethane foam formulation of claim 12, wherein the at least one tetraalkyl guanidine comprises tetramethyl guanidine.

14. The polyurethane foam formulation of claim 11, wherein the formulation is effective to produce a foam having a density of about 6 to about 16 Kg/m³.

15. The polyurethane foam formulation of claim 14, wherein the formulation is effective to produce a foam having a density of about 8 Kg/m³.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one gelling catalyst has at least one isocyanate reactive functionality.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one gelling catalyst comprises bis-(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)-amine.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein the spraying comprises impingement mixing using a spray gun.

7. A blowing catalyst composition for catalyzing the formation of a polyurethane foam comprising:

about 95% or more by weight of a non-emissive blowing catalyst comprising;

N,N,N′

-trimethyl-N′

-3-aminopropyl-bis(aminoethyl)ether and at least one additional non-emissive catalyst; and

the presence of tetramethyl guanidine in an amount of about 5% or less, by weight.

21. The blowing catalyst composition of claim 7, wherein the at least one additional non-emissive catalyst is selected from the group consisting of N,N,N′

-trimethylaminoethyl-ethanolamine, (N,N-dimethylaminopropyl-N′

-methyl-N′

-(2-hydroxyethyl)amine, dimethylethanolamine, N,N-bis(3-dimethylamino-propyl)-N-(2-hydroxypropyl)amine, dimethylaminopropylurea, N,N,N′

-trimethyl-N′

-3-aminopropyl-bis(aminoethyl)ether, dimethylaminopropylamine, N-methyl-N-2-hydroxypropyl-piperazine, 6-dimethylamino-1-hexanol, and combinations thereof.

16. A catalyst composition consisting essentially of:

at least one blowing catalyst comprising N,N,N′

-trimethylaminoethyl-ethanolamine;

at least one gelling catalyst comprising bis-(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)-amine; and

at least one tetraalkyl guanidine of the following formula;

17. The catalyst composition of claim 16, wherein a foam produced from the catalyst composition is free of amine emissions in accordance with VDA 278.