PIPA polyols are made in a two-step process. In the first step, a base polyether polyol and a polyisocyanate are reacted to form a mixture that contains unreacted base polyol, unreacted polyisocyanate and adducts of the base polyol and polyisocyanate. A low equivalent weight polyol is then added and reacted in a second step to form the dispersion. The process unexpectedly produces a stable dispersion of the fine PIPA particles in the base polyol, even when the base polyol contains mostly secondary hydroxyl groups. The process also permits the tuning of product viscosity by increasing or decreasing the extent of reaction in the first step.

The present invention relates to a process for producing flame-retarded polyurethane foams, in particular flexible polyurethane foams, using halogen-free flame retardants, wherein the resulting flame-retarded polyurethane foams exhibit low emission values coupled with good mechanical properties. The present invention further relates to halogen-free flame retardants.

This invention relates to improved flexible foams prepared from polymer polyols and to a process for preparing these improved flexible foams.

The invention relates to dioxomolybdenum (VI) complex compounds of the formula MoO.sub.2(L).sub.x(Y).sub.2-x, where the ligand L has the formula (I). Such complex compounds are suitable in particular as catalysts for one- and two-component polyurethane compositions. The invention also relates to two-component polyurethane compositions including at least one polyisocyanate as the first component, at least one polyol as the second component, and at least one such dioxomolybdenum (VI) complex compound as the catalyst. The invention further relates to one-component polyurethane compositions comprising at least one polyurethane prepolymer with isocyanate groups, which are made from at least one polyisocyanate with at least one polyol, and comprising such a dioxomolybdenum (VI) complex compound as the catalyst. The invention additionally relates to different uses of said polyurethane compositions. ##STR00001##

Described herein are coated optical fibers including an optical fiber portion, wherein the optical fiber portion includes a glass core and cladding section that is configured to possesses certain mode-field diameters and effective areas, and a coating portion including a primary and secondary coating, wherein the primary coating is the cured product of a composition that possesses specified liquid glass transition temperatures, such as below −82° C., and/or a viscosity ratios, such as between 25° C. and 85° C., of less than 13.9. Also described are radiation curable coating compositions possessing reduced thermal sensitivity, methods of coating such radiation curable coating compositions to form coated optical fibers, and optical fiber cables comprising the coated optical fibers and/or radiation curable coating compositions elsewhere described.

The invention relates to polymers containing silane groups, to a method for their production and to their use as a component of curable compositions, in particular of moisture-curing sealants, adhesives or coatings that can be applied at ambient temperature, or of hot-melt adhesives containing silane groups. The polymers containing silane groups are obtained in particular by means of a special hydroxysilane which can be produced in particular from the reaction of lactides with aminosilanes.

A two-component composition, containing at least one silane-group-containing polymer that is liquid at room temperature, at least one epoxide liquid resin, at least one polyetheramine, and at least one aminosilane or mercaptosilane. The composition has low odor, cures quickly and without blistering at room temperature, and, when cured, forms a tough elastic material of high strength, high adhesive force, and good thermal resistance that has no tendency toward yellowing or substrate discoloration. The composition is excellently suitable as a tough elastic adhesive for structural adhesive joints in the field of construction and in industrial production.

A composition containing two different silane-functional polymers, only one of the two polymers having terminal groups of formula (I). The composition has a surprisingly rapid skin forming time and low viscosity, crosslinks quickly even without the use of EHS-critical catalysts such as organotin compounds or DBU, and cures to a non-sticky material with good strength and elasticity. Also relates to a method for accelerating the curing of a silane-crosslinking composition by adding to it a further silane-functional polymer having terminal groups of formula (I).

A polymer preparation consisting of silane-functional polymers, including at least one polymer having at least one terminal group of formula (I) and at least one further silane terminal group, a method for producing the polymer preparation and a composition containing it. The polymer preparation has a surprisingly low viscosity, cross-links surprisingly quickly even without the use of EHS-critical catalysts such as organotin compounds or DBU, and hardens into a non-sticky material with good strength and elasticity. It is especially well suited as an elastic adhesive or sealant or as an elastic coating. The invention further relates to a method for lowering the viscosity of a polymer having at least one terminal group of formula (I) by introducing at least one further silane terminal group.

A curable composition includes (A) a first component having from 5.0 wt % to 39.0 wt %, based on the total weight of the first component, of a toughening agent component including a Bisphenol F based epoxy resin and an urethane acrylate component, a hardener component having at least one amine based hardener and is present in a ratio of 0.8 to 1.2, based on a number of equivalents of amino hydrogen groups in the hardener component to a number of equivalents of reactive groups in the first component capable of forming a covalent link with the amine reactive groups in the hardener, and an epoxy base component that accounts for a remainder of the total weight of the first component and that has at least one epoxy resin separately provided from the Bisphenol F based epoxy resin. The Bisphenol F based epoxy resin is present in an amount from 2.5 wt % to 50.0 wt % and the urethane acrylate component is present in an amount from 50.0 wt % to 97.5 wt %, based on the total weight of the toughening agent component. The urethane acrylate component includes the capping reaction product of an acrylate and an isocyanate terminated prepolymer and the isocyanate-terminated prepolymer is the reaction product of a polyisocyanate and at least a DMC derived polyol having a molecular weight of at least 3000 g/mol. The curable composition may further include (B) an optional second component that has at least one of a filler and any additional ingredient for a targeted application of the curable composition.