Methods for preparing flexible, open-celled, polyester and polyether urethane foams and foams prepared thereby

• US 5,482,980 A
• Filed: 07/14/1994
• Issued: 01/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PMC Incorporated (PMC Global Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PMC Incorporated (PMC Global Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pcolinsky, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Foelak, Morton
• Application Number:
  US08/275,122
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 521/114, 521/918, 521/130
• US Class Current: 521/130
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1487 Removing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 521/918 Physical aftertreatment of a cellular product

Abstract

A method for the preparation of a flexible, open-celled, urethane foam which comprises reacting at least one isocyanate and at least one polyol in the presence of at least one catalyst and an epoxidized soybean oil, wherein each polyol is a saturated polyether polyol. A further aspect of the present invention provides a pre-formation method for the preparation of a flexible, open-celled, urethane foam, the method comprising reacting at least one isocyanate and at least one polyol in the presence of at least one catalyst and about 7 phR to about 25 phR of an epoxidized soybean oil, wherein each polyol is a saturated polyester polydol. Flexible, open-celled urethane foams prepared in accordance with the methods set forth previously are also included in the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a flexible, open-celled, polyurethane foam comprising reacting at least one isocyanate and at least one saturated polyester polyol in a reaction mixture in the presence of at least one catalyst and about 7 phR to about 25 phR of an epoxidized soybean oil, wherein said reaction mixture is essentially free of polyether polyols, wherein said foam has a permeability of at least 1 ft³ /min.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the epoxidized soybean oil is present in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 15 phR.

3. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising reacting the isocyanate and polyol in the presence of at least one emulsifier.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the catalyst is a mixture of at least one tin catalyst and at least one amine catalyst.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the emulsifier is present in an amount ranging from about 1 phR to about 4 phR, the tin catalyst is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 phR to about 0.5 phR, and the amine catalyst is present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 phR to about 2.0 phR.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the epoxidized soybean oil is present in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 15 phR.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein said mixture is free of polyether polyols.

27. The method according to claim 1, wherein the permeability of said foam is from 1-2 ft³ /min.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the permeability of said foam is above about 2 ft³ /min.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the permeability of said foam is above about 8 ft³ /min.

7. A method for preparing a flexible, open-celled, polyurethane foam comprising reacting at least one isocyanate and at least one saturated polyether polyol in a reaction mixture in the presence of at least one catalyst and an epoxidized soybean oil wherein said reaction mixture is essentially free of polyester polyols, wherein said foam has a permeability of at least 1 ft³ /min.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the epoxidized soybean oil is present in an amount ranging up to about 15 phR.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the epoxidized soybean oil is present in an amount ranging from about 5 phR to about 15 phR.

10. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprising reacting the isocyanate and polyol in the presence of at least one emulsifier.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the catalyst is a mixture of at least one tin catalyst and at least one amine catalyst.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the emulsifier is present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 phR to about 2 phR, the tin catalyst is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 phR to about 1 phR, and the amine catalyst is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 phR to about 0.5 phR.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the epoxidized soybean oil is present in an amount ranging from about 5 to about 15 phR.

30. The method according to claim 7, wherein said mixture is free of polyester polyols.

31. The method according to claim 7, wherein the permeability of said foam is from 1-2 ft³ /min.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the permeability of said foam is above about 3 ft³ /min.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the permeability of said foam is above about 8 ft³ /min.

38. The flexible foam according to claim 32, wherein the permeability of said foam is above about 8 ft³ /min.

14. A flexible, open-celled, polyurethane foam prepared by reacting a mixture comprising at least one isocyanate and at least one saturated polyester polyol in the presence of at least one catalyst and about 7 phr to about 25 phr of an epoxidized soybean oil, wherein the permeability of said foam is at least 1 ft³ /min.

15. The flexible foam according to claim 14, wherein the epoxidized soybean oil is present in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 15 phR.

16. The flexible foam according to claim 14, the method further comprising reacting the isocyanate and polyol in the presence of at least one emulsifier.

17. The flexible foam according to claim 16, wherein the catalyst is a mixture of at least one tin catalyst and at least one amine catalyst.

18. The flexible foam according to claim 17, wherein the emulsifier is present in an amount ranging from about 1 phR to about 4 phR, the tin catalyst is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 phR to about 0.5 phR, the amine catalyst is present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 phR to about 2.0 phR, and the epoxidized soybean oil is present in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 15 phR.

34. The flexible foam according to claim 14, wherein said mixture is essentially free of polyether polyols.

35. The flexible foam according to claim 34, wherein said mixture is free of polyether polyols.

36. The flexible foam according to claim 14, wherein the permeability of said foam is from 1-2 ft³ /min.

37. The flexible foam according to claim 36, wherein the permeability of said foam is above about 2 ft³ /min.

19. A flexible, open-celled, polyurethane foam prepared by reacting a mixture comprising an isocyanate and at least one saturated polyether polyol in the presence of at least one catalyst and an epoxidized soybean oil, wherein the permeability of said foam is at least 1 ft³ /min.

20. The flexible foam according to claim 19, wherein the epoxidized soybean oil is present in an amount ranging up to about 15 phR.

21. The flexible foam according to claim 20, wherein the epoxidized soybean oil is present in an amount ranging from about 5 phR to about 15 phR.

22. The flexible foam according to claim 19, the method further comprising reacting the isocyanate and polyol in the presence of at least one emulsifier.

23. The flexible foam according to claim 22, wherein the catalyst is a mixture of at least one tin catalyst and at least one amine catalyst.

24. The flexible foam according to claim 23, wherein the emulsifier is present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 phR to about 2 phR, the tin catalyst is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 phR to about 1 phR, and the amine catalyst is present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 phR to about 0.5 phR.

25. The flexible foam according to claim 24, wherein the epoxidized soybean oil is present in an amount ranging from about 5 to about 15 phR.

39. The flexible foam according to claim 19, wherein said mixture is essentially free of polyester polyols.

40. The flexible foam according to claim 39, wherein said mixture is free of polyester polyols.

41. The flexible foam according to claim 19, wherein the permeability of said foam is from 1-2 ft³ /min.

42. The flexible foam according to claim 41, wherein the permeability of said foam is above about 3 ft³ /min.

43. The flexible foam according to claim 42, wherein the permeability of said foam is above about 8 ft³ /min.