Patent GB-862549-A (GB)
Title: Manufacture of an improved polyether-polyurethane foam material
IPC: C08G18/66
Filed: 1957-09-11
Abstract: A method of forming a resilient, open pore foam comprises reacting from about 1 to about 5 parts by weight of water with 100 parts by weight of the reaction product of a polyalkylene ether glycol selected from polypropylene ether glycol, a glycol containing a major proportion of 1,2-propyleneoxy groups, and copolymer ether glycols derived from propylene oxide and ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and tetrahydrofuran, propylene oxide and trimethylene oxide and propylene oxide and 1,2- and/or 2,3-butylene oxide, said ether glycol having a molecular weight of from 1000 to 4000, an aromatic di-isocyanate and an aliphatic poly-hydroxy compound having at least 3 hydroxyl groups in the molecule and in an amount of from 0.1 to 5% of the weight of the ether glycol.  To the polypropylene ether glycol may be added up to 50% by weight of a polyethylene ether glycol, polybutylene ether glycol, polytrimethylene ether glycol or polytetramethylene ether glycol, in each case of molecular weight at least 1000. Suitable aliphatic polyhydroxy compounds are glycerol, glycerol monolactate, glycerol monoricinoleate, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, 1,2,5 - pentanetriol, 1,2,4 - butanetriol, trimethylolethane or propane, pentaerythritol and its monoacetate, dipentaerythritol, the triol HOCH2CH2OCH2.CCH3(CH2OH) CH2CHCH3CH2OH  and products obtained by condensing these compounds with ethylene or propylene oxide. Tolylene, m-phenylene, m-xylylene and diphenylmethane, 4,41 - diisocyanates are specified.  In the foaming step there may be incorporated a polyethylene oxide derivative of a phenol or fatty acid, a sulphate of a long chain alcohol or an aromatic sulphonic acid as wetting agent and a tertiary amine, e.g. triethylamine or methyl morpholine as catalyst.  In Example (1) a cooled reaction product of polypropylene ether glycol, glycerine and tolylene-2,4 and 2,6-diisocyanates is converted to a foam by the addition of water mixed with triethylamine and polyethoxylated oleic acid.  In other examples the prepolymer is prepared from (2)-(4) a mixture of tolylene diisocyanate and (2) polytetramethylene ether glycol, polypropylene ether glycol and a trimethylol-ethane-ethylene oxide adduct reacted with tolylene 2,4- and 2,6-diisocyanates; (3) a poly-(propyleneoxy-ethylene-oxy) glycol copolymer mixed with hexanetriol-1,2,6; (4) polypropylene ether glycol and trimethylolpropane (the foaming catalyst being N-hydroxymethyl morpholine); (5) polypropylene ether glycol, an aliphatic hydroxy compound of the above linear formula, and methylene bis-(4-phenyl isocyanate).ALSO:A method of forming a resilient, open pore foam comprises reacting from about 1 to about 5 parts by weight of water with 100 parts by weight of the reaction product of a polyalkylene ether glycol selected from a polypropylene ether glycol, a glycol containing a major proportion of 1, 2-propyleneoxy groups, and copolymer ether glycols derived from propylene oxide and ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and tetrahydrofuran, propylene oxide and trimethylene oxide and propylene oxide and 1, 2 and/or 2, 3 butylene oxide, said ether glycol having a molecular weight of from 1000 to 4000, an aromatic diisocyanate and an aliphatic polyhydroxy compound having at least 3 hydroxyl groups in the molecule and in an amount of from 0,1 to 5% of the weight of the ether glycol.  To the polypropylene ether glycol may be added up to 50% by weight of a polyethylene ether glycol, polybutylene ether glycol, polytrimethylene ether glycol or polytetramethylene ether glycol, in each case of molecular weight at least 1000. Suitable aliphatic polyhydroxy compounds are listed.  In the foaming step there may be incorporated a polyethylene oxide derivative of a phenol or fatty acid, a sulphate of a long chain alcohol or an aromatic sulphonic acid as wetting agent and a tertiary amine e.g. triethylamine or methyl morpholine as catalyst.