[Object] To provide an excellent foaming agent which does not have problems in handling and operation (example: risk of explosion or fire) and inhibition of cross-linking resulting from a foaming agent and problems, such as, mold pollution and environmental pollution, caused by a foaming agent residue, which has excellent uniform dispersibility in a subject of foaming, and which can be used as an alternative to the chemical decomposition type foaming agent.

[Solution] A foaming agent formed from at least (A) a high molecular weight compound having a saturated water absorption of 10 to 1,000 g/g in ion-exchanged water (25° C.) and (B) water, wherein a storage modulus (G′) of the agent, determined on the basis of a viscoelasticity measurement at a temperature of 20° C., is 8.0×10.sup.1 to 1.0×10.sup.6 Pa at a frequency of 5 rad/s.

Disclosed are a polyurethane composition, a molded article, and a vehicle comprising the polyurethane composition or the molded article. The polyurethane composition comprises a polyol composition (A) in which polyether polyol (a1) and polymer polyol (a2) are mixed at a predetermined amount, an isocyanate composition (B) obtainable by polymerizing polyether polyol (b2) and an isocyanate composition (b1) that comprises i) methylene diphenyl isocyanate (M-MDI) and ii) polymethylene diphenyl isocyanate (P-MDI). As such, the molded article such as a vehicle seat pad can be manufactured with improved static and dynamic comfort.

Prepare an extruded polystyrene foam that is characterized by being a singular polymer foam that is free of halogenated blowing agents, having a milled primary surface, having a width of 750 millimeters or more, and further characterized by having a ρ(CST/CSP) value that is 50 kilograms per cubic meter or less and a milled primary surface.

This disclosure describes micro, sub-micro, and nano-cellular polymer foams formed from a polymer composition that includes a polymer and functionalized carbon nanotubes, and systems and methods of formation thereof. The microcellular polymer foam has an average pore size within a range of 1 micron to 100 microns, the sub-microcellular polymer foam has an average pore size within a range of 0.5 microns to 1 micron, and the nano-cellular polymer foam has an average pore size within a range of 10 nanometers to 500 nanometers. In other aspects, this disclosure describes micro, sub-micro, and nano-cellular polymer foams formed from a polymer composition that includes a polymer and non-functionalized carbon nanotubes.

A reaction system, such as for forming a rigid polyurethane foam, includes a flame retardant polyol that is a brominated reaction product of a cardanol component, a bromine component, and an additive component. The cardanol component includes at least 80 wt % of cardanol, based on the total weight of the cardanol component, and the bromine component including at least 80 wt % of bromine, based on the total weight of the bromine component.

A method for forming polyurethane foams in a molding apparatus includes a step of directing one or more polyol compositions into a mold. Each of the one or more polyol compositions include a polyol, water, and a catalyst. The method also includes a step of directing an isocyanate composition into the mold to form a foamed polyurethane. The isocyanate composition includes one or more isocyanates. The one or more polyol compositions and the isocyanate composition is combined into a reaction composition. Characteristically, water concentration is in a range from 1.5 to 2 percent of the weight of the total reaction composition and the amount of isocyanate in the reaction composition is in a sufficient amount such that the isocyanate index is from about 83 to 98. A molded component made by the method is also provided.

Disclosed are a process of producing a polyurethane foam product, a polyurethane foam product pre-mix, polyurethane foam product formulation, and a polyurethane foam product. The process of producing the polyurethane foam product includes contacting a halogen containing composition with a polyurethane foam product pre-mix. The polyurethane foam product pre-mix includes the halogen containing composition. The polyurethane foam product formulation includes a polyol component, an isocyanate component, and a halogen containing compound component. The polyurethane foam product is formed by the pre-mix having the halogen containing composition.

Combinations of gelatinous elastomer and polyurethane foam may be made by introducing a plasticized A-B-A triblock copolymer resin and/or an A-B diblock copolymer resin into a mixture of polyurethane foam forming components including a polyol and an isocyanate. The plasticized copolymer resin is polymerized to form the gelatinous elastomer in-situ while simultaneously polymerizing the polyol and the isocyanate to form polyurethane foam. The polyurethane reaction is exothermmic and can generate sufficient temperature to melt the styrene-portion of the A-B-A triblock copolymer resin thereby extending the crosslinking and in some cases integrating the A-B-A triblock copolymer within the polyurethane polymer matrix. The combination has a marbled appearance. The gel component has higher heat capacity than polyurethane foam and thus has good thermal conductivity and acts as a heat sink. Another advantage of in situ gel-foam is that the gel component provides higher support factors compared to the base foam alone.

Polyurethane foams are made by curing a reaction mixture that contains an aromatic polyisocyanate, at least one isocyanate-reactive material having an average functionality of at least 2 and an equivalent weight of at least 200 per isocyanate-reactive group, at least one blowing agent, at least one surfactant, at least one catalyst, and certain aldehyde-suppressing additives. Foams so produced emit low levels of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde.

Isopropylidenediphenol-based polyether polyols, processes for their production, foams produced using such isopropylidenediphenol-based polyether polyols, such as PUR-PIR rigid foams, as well as to processes for producing such foams. The polyether polyols include: (a) an alkoxylate of 4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol; (b) an alkoxylate of 2,4′- and/or 2,2′-isopropylidenediphenol; (c) an alkoxylate of components comprising structural elements which are derived from phenol, acetone and/or isopropylidenediphenol, but which are not isomers of isopropylidenediphenol; and (d) an alkoxylate of a diol that has a molecular weight less than the molecular weight of isopropylidenediphenol and that does not contain structural elements derived from phenol, acetone and/or isopropylidenediphenol.