Patent ID: 8501826

Claim:
A process for preparing polyurethane foams from used frying oil, the process comprising: (a) reacting used frying oil with an acid at a temperature of less than 70° C., and at atmospheric pressure to form an epoxidised used frying oil; (b) reacting the epoxidised used frying oil with a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol in the presence of a catalyst to form a used frying oil-derived polyol at a temperature of less than 90° C., and at atmospheric pressure, the mole ratio between the monohydric or polyhydric alcohol with unsaturated bonds present in the used frying oil that has been converted into epoxide rings to form epoxidised used frying oil being ≧1:3; (c) mixing the used frying oil-derived polyol with at least one additive and at least one blowing agent at a temperature of less than 30° C., and at atmospheric pressure to form a polyol mixture consisting essentially of the used frying oil-derived polyol, the at least one additive, and the at least one blowing agent; and (d) mixing the polyol mixture with an isocyanate at a temperature of less than 30° C., and at atmospheric pressure to form a polyurethane foam in which the polyol that is reacted with the isocyanate to form the polyurethane foam consists essentially of the used frying oil-derived polyol.