Ageing-resistant and low-emission mattresses and/or cushions comprising at least one section of flexible polyurethane foam, wherein the flexible polyurethane foam has been obtained by reaction of at least one polyol component and at least one isocyanate component in the presence of the compound of the formula (I)

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and at least one blowing agent, are described.

Soy-based high temperature products, or thermoset resins, are produced by solvent free polymerization of soy polyols and polyisocyanates at room temperature. The ratio of isocyanate equivalents to polyol equivalent used in the synthesis is greater than or equal to 3. The invented soy-based products are polyisocyanurate solid materials with excellent stability at high temperature. Heat resistance of the material is influenced by ratio of soy polyol and polyisocyanate.

To provide a catalyst composition excellent in cell openness properties and initial curing properties, and a method for producing a polyurethane resin using the same. A catalyst composition comprising an amine compound (A) of the formula (1), a hydroxy acid (B) of the formula (2) and a tertiary amine compound (C) is used for the production of a polyurethane resin. [Each of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 which are independent of each other, is a methyl group or an ethyl group, R.sub.3 is a C.sub.2-4 linear or branched alkyl group, R.sub.4 is a C.sub.1-18 bivalent hydrocarbon residue, m is an integer of from 1 to 3, and n is an integer of from 1 to 6.] ##STR00001##

A flame-retardant rigid polyurethane foam contains a flame retardant, the foam having a ratio of the maximum peak intensity ratio (P1) of the foam after moist heat treatment of the foam for one week at a temperature of 80° C. and a humidity of 85% to the maximum peak intensity ratio (P2) of the foam before this moist heat treatment of 85% or more (P1/P2x100). The P1 and P2 each refer to the ratio of the maximum peak intensity of 1390 to 1430 cm.sup.−1 to the maximum peak intensity of 1500 to 1520 cm.sup.−1 when the infrared absorption spectrum is measured at a position 5 to 10 mm from the surface of the foam, and the average intensity of 1900 to 2000 cm.sup.−1 is adjusted to zero.

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.

The present invention provides a process for preparing a polymer material filled composite element, comprising the steps of: i) providing a partially closed space, wherein a polyurethane foam is disposed at least at part of the periphery of the space to restrain the flow of the polymer material resin, and the polyurethane foam is formed by in situ application of a polyurethane composition and has an air flow value of greater than 1 L/min as determined by ASTM D3574 test; ii) applying the polymer material resin into the space and curing the polymer material resin to form a polymer material that fills the space.

A surfactant and a method of forming the surfactant having the formula (I) where a is an integer from 1 to 10, b is an integer from 0 to 10, R.sub.1 is —CH.sub.3 or —H, n is an integer from 0 to 20, and R.sub.2 is a moiety selected from the group consisting of (II), (III), (IV), (V), (VI), (VII) or (VIII) where m is an integer from 0 to 4. The surfactant can be used in a method for preparing a rigid polyurethane foam.

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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 a method for producing seals made of polyurethane, in which (a) aliphatic polyisocyanate, (b) compounds containing at least two isocyanate-reactive groups, (c) catalysts, (d) antioxidants and/or light stabilizers, and, optionally, (e) blowing agents, and (f) auxiliary agents and/or additives are mixed to form a reaction mixture, and the reaction mixture is allowed to complete the reaction to form polyurethane. The seal made of polyurethane has a Shore A hardness of less than 90 and a density of at least 850 g/L. The polymeric compounds having groups reactive toward isocyanate include b1) polyetherols having a functionality of 2 to 4 and a hydroxyl number of 20 to 100 mg KOH/g, b2) hydrophobic polyols having an OH number of less than 180 mg KOH/g and a functionality of greater than 2 to 3, and b3) chain extenders.

A rigid polyurethane foam which is a polymerization product of a composition including a concentrated acid hydrolytic lignin, a polyol, and an isocyanate, and a method of preparing the rigid polyurethane foam.