Methods of removing amine contaminants from equipment used in the production of polyether polyols. These methods include: (a) contacting the equipment with an aqueous solution of a first acid; (b) discharging the aqueous solution of the first acid from the equipment; (c) contacting the equipment with an aqueous solution of an acidic metal conditioner; (d) discharging the aqueous solution of the acidic metal conditioner from the equipment; (e) contacting the equipment with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide; and (f) discharging the aqueous solution of the alkali metal hydroxide from the equipment.

A flame-retardant polyether polyol is provided, including a Mannich base and an epoxide. The epoxide is selected from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and butylene oxide. The Mannich base has a structure represented by a formula (I). In the Mannich base, flame-retardant groups, i.e., halogens are introduced at the second, fourth and sixth positions of a phenyl group, and flame-retardant elements, i.e., halogens and nitrogen are introduced into synthesized polyether polyol. The amount of active hydrogen in the Mannich base is small so that side reactions during synthesis of the polyether polyol are reduced, and the viscosity of the polyether polyol is lowered. A flame-retardant polyurethane material is also provided, synthesized from raw materials comprising the above-mentioned flame-retardant polyether polyol and an isocyanate. Due to autocatalytic performance of tertiary amido in the flame-retardant polyether polyol, use of a catalyst can be reduced and even avoided during the synthesis.

To provide a continuous production apparatus and a continuous production method for an aromatic polymer which enable resource conservation, energy conservation, and equipment costs reduction. A continuous production method for an aromatic polymer having an ether bond or an imide bond, the method including: (a) supplying a polymerization solvent and a reaction raw material to a continuous production apparatus including a plurality of reaction vessels; (b) performing a polycondensation reaction in the polymerization solvent in at least one of the reaction vessels to form a reaction mixture; and (c) successively moving the reaction mixture to each of the reaction vessel, the steps (a), (b), and (c) being performed in parallel; wherein an ether bond or an imide bond is formed by the polycondensation reaction; respective gas phase parts of the plurality of reaction vessels communicate with one another; and a pressure of each of the gas phase parts is uniform.

Methods of removing amine contaminants from equipment used in the production of polyether polyols. These methods include: (a) contacting the equipment with an aqueous solution of a first acid; (b) discharging the aqueous solution of the first acid from the equipment; (c) contacting the equipment with an aqueous solution of an acidic metal conditioner; (d) discharging the aqueous solution of the acidic metal conditioner from the equipment; (e) contacting the equipment with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide; and (f) discharging the aqueous solution of the alkali metal hydroxide from the equipment.

This invention relates to an in-situ formed polyol blend having an overall functionality of 2 to 3 and an overall hydroxyl number of 50 to 150. A process for preparing these polyol blends is also disclosed. These in-situ formed polyol blends are suitable for preparing viscoelastic flexible polyurethane foams. A process for preparing these foams is also disclosed.

Implementations described herein generally relate to etheramine mixtures formed from a mixture of two or more multifunctional alcohol initiators, processes for the etheramine mixtures production, and its use as a curing agent or as a raw material in the synthesis of polymers. In one implementation, the process comprises mixing a polyol initiator having a melting point greater than a processing temperature and a polyol initiator having a melting point less than the processing temperature to form a polyol initiator mixture having a melting point less than the processing temperature, charging the polyol initiator mixture to an alkoxylation reaction zone, contacting the polyol initiator mixture with an alkylene oxide in the alkoxylation reaction zone to provide a mixture of alkoxylated precursor polyols and charging the mixture of alkoxylated precursor polyols to a reductive amination zone and reductively aminating the mixture of alkoxylated precursor polyols to form the etheramine mixture.

The invention relates to a method for producing polyether carbonate polyols, wherein (i) in a first step a polyether carbonate polyol is produced from one or more H-functional starter substances, one or more alkylene oxides, and carbon dioxide in the presence of at least one DMC catalyst, and (ii) in a second step the polyether carbonate polyol is chain-extended with a mixture of at least two different alkylene oxides in the presence of at least one DMC catalyst. The invention further relates to polyether carbonate polyols that contain a terminal mixed block of at least two alkylene oxides and to a method for producing soft polyurethane foams, wherein a polyol component containing a polyether carbonate polyol according to the invention is used.

Polyether diols characterized by a hydroxyl number of 56 or lower, high average functionality and high primary hydroxyl content are prepared by alkoxylating an unsaturated alcohol in multiple steps to form a polyether monol that contains 39% or more primary hydroxyl groups, and then reacting the polyether monol with a mercaptoalcohol that has a primary hydroxyl group.

Disclosed in the present invention is a polyether polyol refining method, comprising (1) neutralising or diluting crude polyether polyol to obtain a mixed solution; (2) flowing the mixed solution through a hydrophilic medium to aggregate same into a first density phase liquid and a second density phase liquid, the first density phase liquid being an aqueous solution containing alkaline metal ions and/or alkaline earth metal ions, and the second density phase liquid being polyether polyol; and (3) allowing the first density phase liquid to settle and separating same from the second density phase liquid to obtain refined polyether polyol. In the present refining method, using the hydrophilic medium for one-step removal of the alkaline ions and water in the polyether polyol simplifies the treatment steps, increases treatment efficiency, and can prevent polyether polyol loss; the obtained polyether polyol has low alkaline ion content and little odour. Also disclosed in the present invention is a polyether polyol refining apparatus, comprising a mixing unit and a separating unit, and being capable of refining polyether polyol with low alkaline ion content and little odour.

Alkoxylates are described that are obtainable by (i) in a first step reacting a) one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of phenols that are substituted with one substituent, wherein the one substituent is in the ortho-, meta- or para-position to the OH group of the phenol and is selected from the group consisting of OH, R8, OR8, F, Cl, Br, I, CN, NO.sub.2 or COOR9, wherein R8 is a linear or branched alkyl group with 1 to 4 C-atoms and R9 is a linear or branched alkyl group comprising 1 to 22 C-atoms or a linear or branched mono- or polyunsaturated alkenyl group comprising 2 to 22 C-atoms with b) an aryl-substituted linear or branched C.sub.1-C.sub.3 alkyl alcohol or an aryl-substituted linear or branched C.sub.2- or C.sub.3-alkene, and (ii) in a second step alkoxylating the reaction product of the first step and (iii) in an optional third step reacting the reaction product of step (ii) with an alkylating agent providing a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl group, with a carboxymethylating agent, with a sulfating agent, with a phosphating agent or with a sulfosuccinating agent.

These alkoxylates may advantageously be used as anti-redeposition agents in laundry applications.