Reduced Emissions Low Density Spray Polyurethane Foam

• US 20130190415A1
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evonik Operations GmbH (Rag-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Burdeniuc, Juan Jesus, Tobias, James Douglas, Keller, Renee Jo
• Granted Patent: US 10,106,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 521/115
• 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 catalyst composition for catalyzing the formation of a polyurethane foam comprising:

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

2. The catalyst composition of claim 1 consisting essentially of

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

3. The catalyst composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the polyurethane foam is formed in the presence of a blowing agent composition comprising water.

4. The catalyst composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the polyurethane foam is formed in the presence of a blowing agent composition consisting of water.

5. The catalyst composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the tetraalkyl guanidine comprises tetramethyl guanidine.

6. The catalyst composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the amount of the tetraalkyl guanidine in the catalyst composition is sufficient to achieve a Choice Time as measured by a sonar detector of 5.8 seconds or shorter.

7. The catalyst composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the amount of the tetraalkyl guanidine comprises about 40% or less by weight of the total catalyst composition.

8. The catalyst composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the amount of the tetraalkyl guanidine comprises about 30% or less by weight of the total catalyst composition.

9. The catalyst composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the amount of the tetraalkyl guanidine comprises about 5% or less by weight of the total catalyst composition.

10. The catalyst composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the non-emissive catalyst comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of bis-(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)-amine, 6-dimethylamino-1-hexanol, 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, N,N-dimethyl-N′

,N′

-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)-1,3-propylenediamine, 2-(2-dimethylaminoethoxy)ethanol, dimethylaminopropylurea, bis(dimethylaminopropyl)urea, 2-[N-(dimethylaminoethoxyethyl)-N-methylamino]ethanol, N,N,N′

-trimethyl-N′

-3-aminopropyl-bis(aminoethyl)ether, dimethylaminopropylamine, N-methyl-N2-hydroxypropyl-piperazine, bis(dimethylamino)-2-propanol, N-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole, N-(2-hydroxypropyl)imidazol and any combination thereof.

11. The catalyst composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one non-emissive catalyst comprises bis(dimethylaminopropyl)amine and N-(dimethylaminoethyl)-N-(2-hydroxethyl)-N-methylamine.

12. The catalyst composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one non-emissive catalyst comprises bis(dimethylaminopropyl)amine and 2-[N-(dimethylaminoethoxyethyl)-N-methylamino]ethanol.

13. The catalyst composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one non-emissive catalysts comprise bis(dimethylaminopropyl)amine and N,N,N′

-trimethyl-N′

-3-aminopropyl-bis(aminoethyl)ether.

14. The catalyst composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the polyurethane foam formed has a density of about 6 to about 16 Kg/m³.

16. A method for preparing a water blown, low density, rigid polyurethane foam which comprises contacting at least one polyisocyanate with at least one polyol, at an Isocyanate Index of 20 to 100, in the presence of an effective amount of a blowing agent composition comprising at least 75 wt % water and an effective amount of a catalyst composition according to claim 1, the rigid polyurethane foam having a density of about 6 to about 16 Kg/m³.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the Isocyanate Index is 20 to 50.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the tetraalkyl guanidine comprises tetramethyl guanidine.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the amount of the tetraalkyl guanidine comprises about 40% or less by weight of the total catalyst composition.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the amount of the tetraalkyl guanidine comprises about 30% or less by weight of the total catalyst composition.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the amount of the tetraalkyl guanidine comprises about 5% or less by weight of the total catalyst composition.

22. A polyurethane foam formulation comprising at least one polyol, at least an isocyanate, an effective amount of a blowing agent composition and an effective amount of a catalyst composition according to claim 1.

23. The polyurethane foam formulation of claim 22, further comprises at least one member selected from a group consisting of a surfactant, an emulsifier, a flame retardant, a crosslinker, a cell stabilizer and a combination thereof.

24. The polyurethane foam formulation of claim 23, wherein the blowing agent composition comprises water.

25. The polyurethane foam formulation of claim 23, wherein the tetraalkyl guanidine comprises tetramethyl guanidine.

26. The polyurethane foam formulation of claim 23, wherein the amount of the tetraalkyl guanidine comprises about 40% or less by weight of the total catalyst composition.

27. The polyurethane foam formulation of claim 23, wherein the amount of the tetraalkyl guanidine comprises about 30% or less by weight of the total catalyst composition.

28. The polyurethane foam formulation of claim 23, wherein the amount of the tetraalkyl guanidine comprises about 5% or less by weight of the total catalyst composition.

29. The polyurethane foam formulation of claim 22, wherein the polyurethane foam having a density of about 6 to about 16 Kg/m³.

30. The polyurethane foam formulation of claim 29, wherein the polyurethane foam having a density of about 8 Kg/m³.

15. A catalyst composition for catalyzing the formation of a polyurethane foam comprising

about 70% or more by weight of N,N,N′

-trimethyl-N′

-3-aminopropyl-bis(aminoethyl)ether and about 30% or less by weight of tetramethyl guanidine.