Polyol compositions, a process for the production of these polyol compositions, and their use in the production of open celled polyurethane foams having high airflow

• US 9,951,174 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covestro LLC (Covestro AG)
• Original Assignee: Covestro LLC (Covestro AG)
• Inventors: McVey, Susan B., Hager, Stanley L., Moore, Micah N., Reese, Jack R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rioja, Melissa A
• Application Number:
  US15/160,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20160340464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/165 covered by C08G18/18 and C08G18/24
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/283 Compounds containing ether groups, e.g. oxyalkylated monohydroxy compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4072 Mixtures of compounds of group C08G18/63 with other macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4804 Two or more polyethers of different physical or chemical nature
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4816 mixtures of two or more polyetherpolyols having at least three hydroxy groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4837 and other oxyalkylene units
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4841 containing oxyethylene end groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4866 having a low unsaturation value
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/632 onto polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/667 with compounds of group C08G18/32 or polyamines of C08G18/38
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7621 being toluene diisocyanate including isomer mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7664 containing alkylene polyphenyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/0008 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/0016 semi-rigid
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/005 < 50kg/m3
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/0058 ≥50 and <150kg/m3
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/0083 prepared using water as the sole blowing agent
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 65/2663 Metal cyanide catalysts, i.e. DMC's
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 65/2696 characterised by the process or apparatus used

Abstract

This invention relates to a novel polyol composition and a process for preparing these polyol compositions. These novel polyol compositions comprise (a) an in-situ formed polyol blend which comprises (i) one or more polyether monols and (ii) one or more polyether polyols; and (b) a polyether polyol. This invention also relates to a process for preparing an open celled, flexible polyurethane foam in which the isocyanate-reactive component comprises this novel polyol composition, and to a viscoelastic polyurethane foam wherein the isocyanate-reactive comprise the novel polyol composition.

Claims

1. A process of preparing a polyol composition, comprising:

(I) the in-situ production of a polyol blend, comprising;

A) introducing into a reaction vessel a mixture comprising;

(1) an initial starter (S_i) comprising one or more monofunctional compounds having a hydroxyl number of less than about 56 and containing less than 20% by weight of copolymerized oxyethylene, based on 100% by weight of said one or more monofunctional compounds,

and

(2) a DMC (double metal cyanide) catalyst,

B) feeding

(1) an epoxide component comprising propylene oxide and ethylene oxide in a weight ratio of from 100;

0 to 20;

80,

into the reaction vessel;

C) allowing said epoxide component and said initial starter (S_i) to react and continuing to polymerize by feeding the epoxide component until the equivalent weight of the one or more monofunctional compounds is increased by at least 10% by weight and reaches a value between about 1,500 and about 6,000;

D) continuously adding

(1) one or more low molecular weight starters (S_c) having an average functionality of greater than 2 to about 6 and an equivalent weight of about 28 to about 400

into the reaction vessel while continuing to feed said epoxide component;

E) completing addition of said one or more low molecular weight starters (S_c);

and

F) allowing the mixture to continue to polymerize in the reaction vessel until the resultant polyol composition has an overall hydroxyl number of from about 56 to about 250, an average functionality of greater than 2, and comprises

(1) one or more polyether monols having an average hydroxyl number of less than 56, and containing less than 20% by weight of copolymerized oxyethylene, based on 100% by weight of F)(1),

and

(2) and F)(2), of one or more polyether polyols having a hydroxyl number of about 47 to about 300, an average functionality of greater than 2 to about 6, and containing from about 5 to about 45% by weight of copolymerized oxyethylene, based on 100% by weight of F)(2),

thereby producing a resultant in situ produced polyol blend,

and wherein F)(1) and F)(2) are each present in the resultant in situ produced polyol blend in an amount of from about 25 to 75% by weight, based on 100% by weight of F)(1) and F)(2);

and

(II) mixing the resultant in-situ produced polyol blend from F),

with

A) one or more polyether polyols having a functionality of 2 to 8, a hydroxyl number of 20 to 240 and comprising at least 50% of copolymerized oxyethylene, based on 100% by weight of the one or more polyether polyols A).

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the resultant in-situ produced polyol blend from F) is additionally mixed with at least one of:

B) one or more polyether polyols having an OH number of from about 10 to about 300, a functionality of from about 2 to about 8, and which contain from 0 to 45% by weight of copolymerized ox ethylene, based on 00% by weight of component B);

and

C) one or more filled polyols.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein said initial starter (S_i) is prepared from starter comprising one or more C₁₂, C₁₃, C₁₄ and/or C₁₅ long chain alcohols.

4. The process of claim 1, where said one or more low molecular weight starters (S_c) comprises glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, sucrose, sorbitol, or mixtures thereof.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the resultant in situ produced polyol blend in F) has an overall hydroxyl number of from at least about 75 to about 150 or less, and a functionality of from at least about 2.1 to about 4 or less.