Flexible polyurethane foam and associated method and article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9447227-B2
Application number	US-201314044904-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2013
Priority date	Oct 3, 2013
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

A polyurethane foam is prepared from a reaction mixture that includes specific amounts of a polyol, an aromatic isocyanate compound, a particulate poly(phenylene ether), and a blowing agent. The polyurethane foam exhibits one or more of increased compressive force deflection, increased flame retardancy, and increased rate of formation. A method of preparing the foam and articles incorporating the foam are described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A polyurethane foam comprising the product of a reaction mixture comprising:
40 to 70 weight percent of a polyol;
20 to 40 weight percent of an aromatic isocyanate compound having an average of at least 2 isocyanate groups per molecule;
2 to 30 weight percent of a particulate poly(phenylene ether) comprising repeating structural units having the formula

wherein each occurrence of Z 1 is independently halogen, unsubstituted or substituted C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl provided that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, or C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms; and each occurrence of Z 2 is independently hydrogen, halogen, unsubstituted or substituted C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl provided that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, or C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms, and wherein the particulate poly(phenylene ether) has a mean particle size of 1 to 40 micrometers; and
0.5 to 5 weight percent of a blowing agent;
wherein the weight percent values are based on the total weight of the polyol, the aromatic isocyanate compound, the particulate poly(phenylene ether), and the blowing agent;
wherein the reaction mixture is characterized by an isocyanate index of 65 to 95; and
wherein the polyurethane foam has a density of 0.01 to 0.16 grams/centimeter 3 .

2. The polyurethane foam of claim 1 , wherein the polyol comprises a propylene oxide capped polyether triol, an ethylene oxide capped polyether polyol, or a combination thereof.

3. The polyurethane foam of claim 1 , wherein the aromatic isocyanate compound comprises 1,4-tetramethylene diisocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,12-dodecamethylene diisocyanate, cyclohexane-1,3-diisocyanate, cyclohexane-1,4-diisocyanate, 1-isocyanato-2-isocyanatomethyl cyclopentane, 1-isocyanato-3-isocyanatomethyl-3,5,5-trimethyl-cyclohexane, bis(4-isocyanatocyclohexyl)methane, 2,4′-dicyclohexyl-methane diisocyanate, 1,3-bis(isocyanatomethyl)-cyclohexane, 1,4-bis-(isocyanatomethyl)-cyclohexane, bis(4-isocyanato-3-methyl-cyclohexyl)methane, alpha,alpha,alpha′,alpha′-tetramethyl-1,3-xylylene diisocyanate, alpha,alpha,alpha′,alpha′-tetramethyl-1,4-xylylene diisocyanate, 1-isocyanato-1-methyl-4(3)-isocyanatomethyl cyclohexane, 2,4-hexahydrotoluene diisocyanate, 2,6-hexahydrotoluene diisocyanate, 1,3-phenylene diisocyanate, 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate, 2,4-toluene diisocyanate, 2,6-toluene diisocyanate, 2,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 1,5-diisocyanato naphthalene, an oligomeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate having an average of greater than 2 and less than or equal to 4 isocyanate groups per molecule, or a combination thereof.

4. The polyurethane foam of claim 1 , wherein the aromatic isocyanate compound comprises 2,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, toluene 2,6-diisocyanate, toluene 2,4-diisocyanate, an oligomeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate having an average of greater than 2 and less than or equal to 4 isocyanate groups per molecule, or a combination thereof.

5. The polyurethane foam of any of claims 1 - 4 , wherein the particulate poly(phenylene ether) is a particulate poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether).

6. The polyurethane foam of any of claims 1 - 4 , wherein the particulate poly(phenylene ether) has a mean particle size of 2 to 8 micrometers.

7. The polyurethane foam of any of claims 1 - 4 , wherein the blowing agent comprises water.

8. The polyurethane foam of claim 1 ,
wherein the polyol comprises an ethylene oxide capped polyether triol, a propylene oxide capped polyether triol, or a combination thereof;
wherein the aromatic isocyanate compound comprises 2,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, toluene 2,6-diisocyanate, toluene 2,4-diisocyanate, an oligomeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate having an average of greater than 2 and less than or equal to 4 isocyanate groups per molecule, or a combination thereof;
wherein the particulate poly(phenylene ether) is a particulate poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether);
wherein the particulate poly(phenylene ether) has a mean particle size of 2 to 8 micrometers;
wherein the blowing agent comprises water; and
wherein the reaction mixture comprises
45 to 65 weight percent of the polyol,
25 to 35 weight percent of the aromatic isocyanate compound,
3 to 25 weight percent of the particulate poly(phenylene ether), and
1.7 to 3 weight percent of the blowing agent.

9. An article comprising a polyurethane foam, the polyurethane foam comprising the product of a reaction mixture comprising:
40 to 70 weight percent of a polyol;
20 to 40 weight percent of an aromatic isocyanate compound having an average of at least 2 isocyanate groups per molecule;
2 to 30 weight percent of a particulate poly(phenylene ether) comprising repeating structural units having the formula

wherein each occurrence of Z 1 is independently halogen, unsubstituted or substituted C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl provided that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, hydrocarbyloxy, or C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms; and each occurrence of Z 2 is independently hydrogen, halogen, unsubstituted or substituted C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl provided that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, or C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms; and wherein the poly(phenylene ether) has a mean particle size of 1 to 40 micrometers; and
0.5 to 5 weight percent of a blowing agent;
wherein the weight percent values are based on the total weight of the polyol, the aromatic isocyanate compound, the particulate poly(phenylene ether), and the blowing agent;
wherein the reaction mixture is characterized by an isocyanate index of 65 to 95; and
wherein the polyurethane foam has a density of 0.01 to 0.16 grams/centimeter 3 .

10. The article of claim 9 , selected from the group consisting of bedding, furniture, automotive interiors, mass transportation interiors, flooring underlay, packaging, textiles, lining and gasketing applications, acoustic dampening materials, and weather stripping.

11. The article of claim 9 ,
wherein the polyol comprises an ethylene oxide capped polyether triol, a propylene oxide capped polyether triol, or a combination thereof;
wherein the aromatic isocyanate compound comprises 2,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, toluene 2,6-diisocyanate, toluene 2,4-diisocyanate, an oligomeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate having an average of greater than 2 and less than or equal to 4 isocyanate groups per molecule, or a combination thereof;
wherein the particulate poly(phenylene ether) is a particulate poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether);
wherein the particulate poly(phenylene ether) has a mean particle size of 2 to 8 micrometers;
wherein the blowing agent comprises water; and
wherein the reaction mixture comprises
45 to 65 weight percent of the polyol,
25 to 35 weight percent of the aromatic isocyanate compound,
3 to 25 weight percent of the parti

Assignees

• Sabic Innovative Plastics Ip Bv
• Sabic Global Technologies Bv

Inventors

• Peters Edward Norman

Classifications

• C08G18/4829 Primary

  Polyethers containing at least three hydroxy groups (C08G18/4833 - C08G18/5096 take precedence) · CPC title

• C08G2101/005

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C08G18/76 Primary

  aromatic · CPC title

• C08G18/1833

  having ether, acetal, or orthoester groups · CPC title

• C08L75/04

  Polyurethanes · CPC title