The present invention provides trimerization catalyst compositions having an α,β-unsaturated carboxylate salt and methods to produce a polyisocyanurate/polyurethane foam using such trimerization catalyst compositions.

Polyisocyanurate or polyurethane-isocyanurate polymers are made by curing an aromatic polyisocyanate or a mixture of at least one aromatic polyisocyanate and at least one polyol having a hydroxyl equivalent weight of up to 200 in which the isocyanate index is at least 2.00, in the presence of at least one isocyanate trimerization catalyst, to form a polyisocyanurate or polyurethane-isocyanurate polymer having a glass transition temperature of at least 100° C., and then exposing the polyisocyanurate or polyurethane-isocyanurate polymer formed step a) to water under superatmospheric pressure at a temperature of at least 70° C.

According to one embodiment, a polyisocyanurate foam board is described. The foam board includes a polyisocyanurate core that is produced from: an isocyanate, a polyol, and a phosphorous containing non-halogenated fire retardant. The foam board also includes a facer material that is applied to at least one surface of the polyisocyanurate core. The polyisocyanurate core has an isocyanate index greater than about 200 and is able to forms a sufficiently stable char when exposed to flame conditions to enable the polyisocyanurate core to pass the ASTM E-84 test. The foam board has an initial R-value of at least 6.40 and exhibits an ASTM E1354-11b test performance that is equivalent with or better than a similar foam board having a halogenated fire retardant, such as tris(2-chloroisopropyl)phosphate (TCPP).

The present invention relates to a process for preparing polyurethanes by mixing a) polyisocyanate, b) a mixture obtainable by introducing an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt into a compound comprising urethane groups, c) compounds comprising one or more epoxide groups, and, optionally, d) polyol, e) chain extenders, and f) fillers and further additives to form a reaction mixture and fully reacting the mixture to give the polyurethane, where the amount of alkali metal or alkaline earth metal ions per equivalent urethane groups in the compound (b) is 0.0001 to 3.5. The present invention further relates to a polyurethane obtainable by such a process, and to the use of such a polyurethane for producing bodywork components for vehicles.

A spray foam formulation used to form a spray foam insulation layer in a wall structure is described. The formulation may include the reaction product of a polyisocyanate compound and a polyol compound; a fire retardant chosen from at least one of a non-halogenated fire retardant; and a reactive halogen-containing fire retardant, and a carbohydrate. The spray foam insulation layer has an insulative R value of 3.0 to 7.2 per inch, and a density of between about 0.3 to about 4.5 pcf. Further, spray foam insulation made from the spray foam formulation may have fire retardant characteristics that are equivalent to or better than a similar spray insulation foam insulation using non-reactive halogenated fire retardants such as tris(1-chloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TCPP).

Polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam insulation described herein is derived from a composition that contains an organic polyisocyanate, an isocyanate reactive material containing at least about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition, of an aromatic polyester polyol, a hydrocarbon blowing agent, a first catalyst selected from the group consisting of a carboxylate salt of an alkali metal, a carboxylate salt of an alkaline earth metal, a carboxylate salt of a quaternary ammonium, and combinations thereof, and a second catalyst comprising a non-reactive tertiary amine, wherein a molar ratio of the first catalyst to the second catalyst is less than about 1.25, the composition gels quickly, and the composition has an isocyanate index greater than about 175. Such an insulating foam has a ratio of thermal conductivity at 75° F. to thermal conductivity at 25° F. between about 0.98 and about 1.10.

The invention relates to reaction mixtures having a high ratio of isocyanate groups to isocyanate-reactive groups, which reaction mixtures mostly cure through the formation of isocyanurate groups, and to the use of such reaction mixtures for producing semifinished materials.

Formulated polyol compositions contain a terephthalic acid-based polyester polyol, a C4-7 hydrocarbon blowing agent, and a nonionic surfactant that has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of greater than 13 to 18.5. The formulated polyol compositions exhibit surprisingly good storage stability and resist stratifying into layers. The compositions are useful to make rigid polyurethane and/or polyisocyanurate foams. The good compatibility of the blowing agent leads to improved cell structure in the foams.

Provided is a process for producing a polyisocyanurate comprising: trimerizing an aliphatic polyisocyanate with a trimerization catalyst in the presence of a thermally decomposable acid at a molar ratio of acid to catalyst of from 0.1 to 10, wherein the polyisocyanurate has a greater pot life than the pot life of the polyisocyanurate not containing the thermally decomposable acid. Polyisocyanurates made according to the inventive process lengthen the pot life of pultrusion composite formulations made therefrom without affecting the reactivity of the formulations. The pultrusion composite formulations of the invention may be cured and pultruded to yield a variety of products such as wind turbine blades, yacht shells, window frames, door frames, ladder frames, telegraph pole cross arms, tent poles, solar cell frames, solar cell backsheets, radomes, highway guard rails, floor boards, pipes, telegraph poles, auto trunks, luggage holders, engine covers, golf clubs, tennis poles, badminton poles, bicycle frames, surfboards, and snowboards.

The present invention relates to a polyol composition for obtaining a polyurethane foam through a reaction with a polyisocyanate compound. The polyol composition comprises a polyol, a catalyst, a foam stabilizer, a foaming agent, and ammonium carboxylate, wherein the ammonium carboxylate has a quaternary ammonium cation as a cationic moiety, and a carboxylic acid anion represented by formula (1) as an anionic moiety.