Abstract:
Isocyanate reactions, such as their condensation with polyols to form polyurethanes and their polymerization to polyisocyanurates, are promoted by certain hydroxyalkyl tertiary amine catalysts corresponding to the formula ##STR1## wherein Y = CH 3  or Z 
     Z = --ch 2 .ch 2  oh 
     n = 1 or 2

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the general field of basic catalysis of organic reactions and is particularly concerned with catalysts for promotion of reactions involving organic isocyanates as in the production of polyisocyanurates and polyurethanes. 
     2. Prior Art 
     It is well known in the art that tertiary amines are good catalysts for production of polyurethanes. Also certain hydroxyalkyl tertiary amines have been advocated for polyurethane production. In particular, dimethyl ethanolamine has been employed for such purpose but it suffers from the drawbacks of relatively high volatility and its poor gel and curing properties. To overcome these deficiencies dimethyl ethanolamine is more generally employed as a cocatalyst with other known superior tertiary amine polyurethane catalysts such as diazabicyclo-octane. 
     Tertiary amines, however, are not generally effective as polyisocyanurate catalysts. The use of hydroxyethyl tertiary amines as polyisocyanurate catalysts have been mentioned but only in conjunction with alkylene oxides or as adducts of polyisocyanates, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,030. Hydroxyethyl tertiary amines as such, as exemplified by dimethyl ethanol amine, were not known to be effective as polyisocyanurate catalysts. 
     In recent patents (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,824,239 and 3,824,240) it is disclosed that certain hydroxyalkylamines are effective as trimerization catalysts for isocyanates, but the compounds disclosed in these patents are limited generally to those in which the hydroxyalkylamine function is associated with an aromatic triazine nuclear structure, which structures in themselves demonstrate good trimerization activity. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It has now been discovered that certain hydroxyalkyl tertiary amines having at least one primary hydroxyethyl group and at least two tertiary nitrogen atoms in the molecule, are not only excellent gelling and curing catalysts in polyurethanes but also exhibit unexpectedly effective catalytic activity in trimerization of organic isocyanates and in carbo-diimide formation from organic isocyanates. It was also unexpectedly found that the hydroxyl group of these tertiary amines plays an important role in the overall activity of the catalysts of the present invention and that particularly those compounds having a primary hydroxyl group possess far superior activity over those of similar structure having a secondary or tertiary hydroxyl group. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     More particularly, it has now been found, in accordance with the present invention, that compounds of the general formula ##STR2##exhibit unexpectedly high catalytic activity in isocyanate reactions such as in the production of polyurethanes and polyisocyanurates. In the above formula (I) preferred compounds are those in which 
     Y= CH 3  or Z 
     z= ch 2  ch 2  oh 
     n= 1 or 2 
     Compounds of the described formula may be prepared by methods generally known in the art, such as by reaction of an alkanolamine with formaldehydeand formic acid following the known Leuckhardt synthesis procedure (Surrey,A. R., &#34;Name Reactions in Organic Chemistry&#34;, 2d. ed., (1961) pp 157-159). 
     Among the preferred catalysts of the present invention which can be prepared by the classical Leuckhardt synthesis are: ##STR3##The isomeric forms of III and IV and similarly structured compounds in accordance with Formula I are effective also. 
     In the preparation of urethane resins any of the compounds of the present invention can be used as the sole catalyst or as cocatalyst with other tertiary amines such as with triethylene diamines, or in conjunction with the known organometallic polyurethane catalysts such as those comprising salts or complexes with tin, lead or antimony. Any of the known polyols heretofore suggested for reaction with polyisocyanates for polyurethane production may be used with the catalysts of the invention, including polyether and polyester glycols, without significant departure except for the catalyst, from known formulations and procedures. Thus, the polyols can be based on glycol, glycerine, or higher polyols and may contain otherfunctional groups as those polyols based on sucrose or the so called amine polyols. The hydroxy function of the polyol may be primary or secondary ora mixture of both of these. In general there can be employed any polyol having at least two active hydrogen atoms responding to the Zerewitinoff test. 
     In the practice of the invention in trimerization reactions for production of polyisocyanurates, as well as in polyurethane formation, the usual blowing agents, surfactants, fire retardants, fillers and other customary additives may be used in the formulation. The hydroxyalkyl tertiary amine catalysts of the invention can be used alone in that form or in their carboxylic acid salt form; also these may be used in conjunction with other cocatalysts such as potassium carboxylates. The compounds of the invention can be reacted with mono- or poly-functional organic isocyanatesto form corresponding adducts and these adducts employed as catalysts. In the preparation of isocyanurates, it is also known to include in addition to the isocyanates to be polymerized, other resins such as epoxies and epoxynovolac resins, or simple alkylene oxides. Such formulations can alsobe employed with the catalysts of the present invention. 
     The isocyanates that can be employed in preparation of resins according to the invention include carbocyclic isocyanates such as tolylene diisocyanate (TDI) and the technical grades of isomeric tolylene diisocyanates commercially available, as well as diphenyl methane diisocyanate; polymeric isocyanates, isothiocyanates, aliphatic and cycloaliphatic isocyanates. 
     PRODUCTION OF THE CATALYSTS 
     EXAMPLE 1 
     Compounds corresponding to Formula I and illustrative of Formulae II, III and IV, employed as catalyst in certain of the formulations in Examples below, were produced in the following manner: 
     A. N,N,N&#39;trimethylaminoethylethanolamine (Formula II) 
     In a resin kettle (or flask) was charged 1 mole of aminoethylethanolamine (AEEA) and to it was added slowly 5 moles of formic acid and 3.5 moles of 40% aqueous formaldehyde. The mixture was then heated on a steam bath until the evolution of carbon dioxide ceased. The mixture was then cooled in a water bath and sodium hydroxide added with stirring until phase separation occurred. The top layer (the amine layer) was isolated and distilled. The fraction distilled at 195°-200° C. was collected as the product and weighed 90 grams. The product had the following properties: 
     
         ______________________________________Boiling Point    90° C at 10 mm HgRefractive index at 23° C            1.4577N.M.R. analysis: for the structure ##STR4##Functional   Chemical Shift                Integrated Area                             No. ofGroups  in ppm.      Under the Peak                             Protons______________________________________a       4.82(singlet)                14           1 (shifted on                             D.sub.2 O addition)b       3.52(triplet)                28           2c       2.3-2.7(couplex)                91           6d &amp; e   2.17-2.23    128          9   (singlets)Literature data on the compoundRefractive index at 20° C = 1.4578Boiling Points      207° C at atmospheric pressure       84° C at 10 mm, Hg______________________________________ 
    
     B. Preparation of N,N&#39;dimethyl N,N&#39;bis hydroxyethylethylenediamine ##STR5## 
     Procedure: 
     The procedure in A. above was followed. 74g of N,N&#39;bis hydroxyethylethylenediamine were reacted with 70g of 88% formic acid and 100cc of 40% aqueous formaldehyde. After work up of the reaction mixture the fraction distilling at 145° C. and 4 mm Hg was collected as theproduct amounting to about 60 grams. 
     
         ______________________________________ ##STR6##Functional   Chemical Shift   Integrated Area                                No. ofGroup   in ppm (multiplicity)                    Under the Peak                                Protons______________________________________b       3.5(triplet)     46          4c + e   2.4-2.7(triplets + singlet)                     97*         8*d       2.2-2.3(singlet) 70          6______________________________________*combined- 
    
     C. Preparation of tetramethylhydroxyethyldiethylenetriamine ##STR7## 
     The procedure in A. above was followed. The quantities reacted were 
     70g of crude hydroxyethyl diethylene triamine 
     250g of 88% formic acid 
     320g of 40% aqueous formaldehyde 
     After work-up the fraction distilling at 95°-120° C. and 3mm Hg was collected, 77.4 grams, as the product mixture. 
     The refractive index at 22° C. = 1.4644 
     The following examples are illustrative of various formulations that can beemployed in practice of the invention, without being limited thereto: 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     Trimerization of phenyl isocyanate 
     A. Into a flask equipped with a thermowell there was charged 11.9 parts by weight of phenyl isocyanate. To this was added 0.12 parts (1% by weight ofisocyanate) of trimethylaminoethylethanolamine (TMAEEA). A thermocouple wasput in place and the mixture agitated for a few seconds then allowed to stand. After about 80 minutes a sudden reaction took place accompanied by an exotherm that drove the temperature from 100° to 250° F. (about 37.8° to 121° C.) and the whole mixture turned into asolid mass. After washing with methanol, a melting point determination was made and found to be 284°-285° C. (the literature reports 282° C. as the melting point of phenylisocyanurate). Infrared spectrum showed for this product the same characteristic bands as those reported in the literature for phenyl isocyanurate. 
     B. The run above was repeated increasing the amount of TMAEEA catalyst to 2% by weight of the isocyanate. This time the reaction was spontaneous with hardly any induction period. The product was likewise identified as phenyl isocyanurate. 
     C. A number of similar runs were made except that other amines and hydroxylamines respectively were substituted for the TMAEEA catalyst previously employed. The results are summarized in Table I below: 
     
                                           TABLE I__________________________________________________________________________                                 Max.                      Wt. %                          Induction                                 Exotherm                                        Yield %Catalyst  Structure        Cat.                          Period; min.                                 ° F (° C)                                        Isocyanurate__________________________________________________________________________Trimethylamino ethyl ethanol amine     2##STR8##        Immed.                          240 (115.6)                                 85 +Pentamethyl- diethylene triamine     2##STR9##        &gt;45 No reaction                                 --Trimethylamino- ethyl isopropanol- amine     2 3STR10##       &gt;48 13                          No reaction 150 (65.6)                                 -- 85 +Dimethyl- ethanol amine     2##STR11##       &gt;144                          No reaction                                 --N,N,N&#39;,N&#39;tetra- methylamino- 2-propanol     2##STR12##       &gt;144                          No reaction                                 --Hydroxyethyl- tetramethyl diethylene- triamine     1##STR13##       Instant.                          240 (115.6)                                 85 +N,N bis hydroxy- ethyl dimethyl- ethylene- diamine     2##STR14##       20  225 (107.2)                                 85 +__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     EXAMPLE 3 
     
         ______________________________________          pbw______________________________________(1)  Niax Polyol 34-28                50.0(2)  TPE-4542        30.0(3)  XD - 1874       15.0              Polyols(4)  Pluracol 355     5.0Water            1.0(5)  T-12             0.03 - 0.05Catalyst        VariedCaCO.sub.3 No. 1 White                60.0(6)  Freon 11B        4.0Carbon Black     1.0(7)  PAPI 901 at 100 Index                33.78 (isocyanate)______________________________________ 
    
     The above components were processed in conventional (one-shot) manner to produce a molded polyurethane semi-rigid foam of the type used in crash pads and instrument panels. 
     The various catalysts and quantities employed in the runs made using the foregoing formulation are recorded in Table 2 below, together with the time required for complete filling of the test mold, which was in the formof a maze with reversing paths from the point of introduction of the resin mixture. 
     
                       TABLE 2______________________________________                  Time to Complete    Conc. pbw     Filling of MoldCatalyst   Amine     Tin       Seconds______________________________________(8) NIAX A-1      0.1       0.05      85      0.08      0.05      90  TMAEEA   0.08      0.03      110      0.10      0.03      93      0.12      0.03      90______________________________________(1) 20% acrylonitrile-styrene grafted onto a 5000MW polyol having 70% primary hydroxyl (OH No. 27.6), available from Union Carbide and Chemical Co.(2) Liquid propylene oxide adduct of trimethylol propane terminating in ethylene oxide to form primary hydroxyl (OH No. 37; MW 4500) available from Wyandotte.(3) Reaction product of ethylene oxide and bisphenol A (Dow) (OH No. 212-229; MW 490-530).(4) Liquid amine based polyol (OH No. 453) (Wyandotte).(5) Dibutyl tin dilaurate.(6) Monoflurotrichlorethane (duPont).(7) 4,4-methylene bisphenyl isocyanate of approx. 2 to 2.2 functionality containing 31.5% NCO (Upjohn).(8) 70 parts bis (2-dimethyl amino-ethyl) ether in 30 parts dipropylene glycol. 
    
     EXAMPLE 4 
     The formulation below was employed for production of a highly resilient water-blown polyurethane foams, using different amine catalysts. 
     
         ______________________________________              pbw______________________________________ (9) Niax 11-34              60                                    Polyols(10) Niax 34-28              40Water                    2.8(11) Silicone L-5305 Stabilizer                         1.5T-12                     0.03TDI 80-20 (80%)         34.2PAPI (20%) (Index at 100)Catalyst                Various______________________________________ 
    
     The data as to cream time (C.T.), rise time (R.T.) and hard gel time (H.G.T.) in the runs made with the different catalysts are reported in Table 3 below: 
     
                       TABLE 3______________________________________    Conc.   C.T.     R.T. H.G.T.Catalyst PHP     Secs.    Secs.                          Secs. Remarks______________________________________Niax A-1 0.08                          Foam showed(12) NEM 0.80          13   183  153   shrinkage(13) DABCO®    0.08TMAEEA   0.06          17   145  125   Mod.Shrinkage    0.06          17   138  127     &#34;    0.8           13   97   83    Good foam    0.8           14   98   85      &#34;    1.0           11   84   80    Good foam    1.0           10   87   78    No shrinkage______________________________________(9) Polyol from glycerine and propylene oxide of 5000 MW, having 70-75% primary OH.(10) 20% graft of acrylonitrile-styrene onto a 5000 MW polyol having 70% primary OH.(11) Silicone stabilizer; U.S. Pat. 3,741,917.(12) N-ethyl morpholine(13) Triethylene diamine (Air Products &amp; Chemicals, Inc.) 
    
     EXAMPLE 5 
     The following formulation was employed in making a flexible polyester polyurethane foam of the water-blown type by the one-shot method 
     
         ______________________________________            pbw______________________________________Fomrex 50          100.0Water              3.6Silicone L-532     1.0Catalyst           Various______________________________________ 
    
     The results obtained are reported in Table 4 below in comparison to a typical catalyst employed in such formulations. 
     
                       TABLE 4______________________________________   Conc.     CT     RT   Hard GelCatalyst   (PHP)     (sec)  (sec)                         Time (sec)                                 Remarks______________________________________NEM     1.6(14)    0.3           12   82   73      Good foamDM-16DTMAEEA  0.4           20   200  170       &#34;&#34;                     21   198  172       &#34;&#34;       0.6           17   140  127       &#34;&#34;                     17   138  125       &#34;&#34;       0.8           12   95   80        &#34;&#34;                     12   96   80        &#34;&#34;       1.0           10   83   73      None to slight                                   shrinkage&#34;                     10   81   74______________________________________(14) Hexadecyl dimethylamine (Baird Chemical Co.). 
    
     It appears from the results reported in Table 4 above that TMAEEA is more active than the control even when using 55% less catalyst. Also the TMAEEAcatalyst permits wide latitude in concentration for processing polyester polyol foams. 
     EXAMPLE 6 
     The following formulation was employed in the preparation of a water-blown polyether polyurethane foam by the one-shot method. 
     
         ______________________________________                    pbw______________________________________(15)    Voranol CP 3000        100.0   Silicone L-520         1.2   Water                  3.6(16)    T-9                    0.25   Hylene TM 80/20 TDI (105 Index)                          45.5   Catalyst               Various______________________________________(15)    Propylene oxide adduct of glycerine (MW 3000; 
    
     The results obtained are reported in Table 5 below compared with those using a typical catalyst employed in such formulations. 
     
                       TABLE 5______________________________________       Conc.      CT      RT     HGTCatalyst    (PHP)      (sec)   (sec)  (sec)______________________________________(17) DABCO 33LV       0.25           16    100    95                      17    101    93  &#34;         0.30           13    100    88                      13    `98    88TMAEEA      0.10           20    104    85                      20    104    85  &#34;         0.12           17    104    85                      17    103    82______________________________________(17) 33% triethylene diamine in dipropylene glycol. 
    
     EXAMPLE 7 
     A number of isocyanurate foams were prepared using the following formulation: 
     
         ______________________________________                PBW______________________________________(18)      Voranol RS 350   20.0(19)      Silicone DC 193  1.5(20)      Genetron 11S ba  15.0(21)      Mondur MR        100.0     TMAEEA           Various______________________________________(18)      A sucrose propylene oxide based polyol having     an equivalent weight of about     160 and MW of 700-900     (Dow Chemical).-(19) Silicone surfactant (Dow-Corning).-(20) Mon     ofluorotrichloroethane (Allied Chemical     Co.).(21)      4,4&#39;-methylene bis phenyl isocyanate of     approx. 2.7 functionality and     containing 31.5% NCO. 
    
     The properties of the foams obtained with different proportions of TMAEEA are reported in Table 6 below. Comparison of these with a sample of a commercial isocyanurate foam--code 25 (Upjohn)--is also reported in Table 6. 
     
                                           TABLE 6__________________________________________________________________________        Run No.        40    41    43    42__________________________________________________________________________TMAEEA (pbw) 1.5   2.0   2.5   3.0C.T. (secs)  27    23    15    12Gel Time (secs)        60    45    28    23Tack Free (secs)        180   150   112   100R.T. (secs)  210   195   132   123                                Commercial                                Code 25Density, PCF 2.54  2.47  2.37  2.28  2.10Oxygen Index 25    26    25    25    27TGA Loss at 300° C        20.2  20.9  22.4  22.2  22.7% wt. retention at        79.8  79.1  77.6  77.8  77.3300° CComp. strength RT        25    27.6  27.7  25.5  42.0PSI 1/2 at hr 350° F        19.2  18.4  19.0  17.4  35(Kg/cm.sup.2 at 176.7° C)        (1.35)              (1.29)                    (1.34)                          (1.22)1/2 hr.% Comp. Strength        75    66    68    68    83Retention at 350° F,1/2 hr.% Friable 10 min.        83.5  77.06 81.04 84.020 min. 100.0 93.67 95.4  94.0__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     EXAMPLE 8 
     A series of runs were carried out to test the activity of various amine catalysts in several concentrations, in the preparation of polyisocyanurate foams by the conventional &#34;one-shot&#34; method. The standardformulation employed in each of these runs comprised: 
     
         ______________________________________               pbw______________________________________(22)  Mobay NB 2300580-1  44.0 Mondur MR           100.0 Genetron 11S ba     20.0 Catalyst            Various______________________________________(22)  Polyester-fatty acid reaction product for isocyanurate 
    
     The results are reported in Table 7 below: 
     
                       TABLE 7______________________________________Catalyst        PBW    Observations______________________________________(a)  TMAEEA                  Good foams                   1.25   &#34;                   1.5    &#34;(b)  N,N&#39;bis hydroxy-   1.25 Good foamsethyl dimethyl     1.5    &#34;ethylene diamine(c)  Trimethyl-N-       1.25 Foams shrunk and collapsed2 hydroxypropyl-ethylene diamine   1.5    &#34;(d)  N-hydroxy-         1.25 Foams shrunk and collapsedpropyl imidazole   1.5    &#34;(e)  Pentamethyl-       1.25 Severe shrinkage and collapsediethylene-        1.5    &#34;triamine(f)  N,N-dimethyl       1.5  Severe shrinkage and collapsediglycolamine      2.0    &#34;(g)  N-hydroxyethyl     2.0  Foam shrinkageimidazole          2.5  Foam shrinkage                   3.0  Moderate shrinkage(h)  N,N&#39;tetramethyl-   1.0  Severe shrinkage2-hydroxypropane-  2.0    &#34;diamine            3.0    &#34;(i)  CommercialControl Catalyst   1.25 Good foamsPolycat 41         1.5    &#34;______________________________________ 
    
     While both the monohydroxyethyl ethylene diamine compound (a) and the bis hydroxy ethyl ethylene diamine compound (b) gave good foams, these are notequivalent in activity as will be seen from the comparison of these in Table 8 below, employed in production of the polyisocyanurate in accordance with Example 7. 
     
                       TABLE 8______________________________________Amine   Conc.Cat.    pbw       CT      GT    T.F.T. R.T.______________________________________(a)     1.25      13      18    55     68   1.50      12      16    45     47(b)     1.25      23      40    165    175   1.50      23      45    150    180______________________________________ 
    
     It is also noted that the foams obtained with catalyst (b) while acceptabledid not rise to desired height obtained with the TMAEEA (a) catalyst. 
     EXAMPLE 9 
     The utility of the novel catalysts of the invention in forming carbodiimides from isocyanates was shown by the following test. 
     In a flask connected to three successive saturated solutions of barium hydroxide there were charged 34.7 parts by weight of 2.4 toluene diisocyanate and 0.8 parts to 1.0 parts of TMAEEA. The mixture was agitated by shaking for a few minutes upon which a rapid exothermic reaction occurred generating a considerable amount of CO 2 , evidenced by the barium carbonate precipated in the connecting flasks. The foamed toluene diisocyanate polymer formed was examined by infrared spectroscopy and found to contain a substantial amount of carbodiimides groupings whichshowed up as bands at 2120- 2140 cm -1 . 
     While in the formulations of the foregoing examples TMAEEA is employed for the most part as the preferred catalyst according to the invention, it will be understood that other catalysts conforming to formula I may be similarly employed, particularly the compounds corresponding to formulae III and IV.