Polyurethane foam is formed by foaming raw materials that includes either an aliphatic isocyanate or a melamine derivative, a urethane emulsion, and an anionic foam stabilizer. The compression set (JIS K6401) of the polyurethane foam, specifically, the compression set (JIS K6401) after the polyurethane foam being allowed to stand for 22 hours in a state of 50% compression under condition of 70 C., is 40% or less. By this, it is possible to obtain polyurethane foam that is low density, pliable and resistant to collapse, i.e., polyurethane foam having high recovery properties.

Polyurethane foam is formed by foaming raw materials that includes either an aliphatic isocyanate or a melamine derivative, a urethane emulsion, and an anionic foam stabilizer. The compression set (JIS K6401) of the polyurethane foam, specifically, the compression set (JIS K6401) after the polyurethane foam being allowed to stand for 22 hours in a state of 50% compression under condition of 70 C., is 40% or less. By this, it is possible to obtain polyurethane foam that is low density, pliable and resistant to collapse, i.e., polyurethane foam having high recovery properties.

There is described a foamed isocyanate-based polymer derived from a reaction mixture comprising: an isocyanate; a polyol composition comprising a first prescribed amount of polymer particles dispersed in a base polyol; a second prescribed amount of biomass-based carbonaceous particulate material; and a blowing agent. In one embodiment, the foamed isocyanate-based polymer having an Indentation Force Deflection when measured pursuant to ASTM D3574-11 which is within about 15% as that of a reference foam produced by omitting the biomass-based carbonaceous particulate material from the reaction mixture and increasing the amount of polymer particles in the polymer polyol composition to equal the sum of the first prescribed amount and the second prescribed amount. In another embodiment, the foamed polymer has a cellular matrix comprising a plurality of interconnected struts, the biomass-based carbonaceous particulate material conferring to the cellular matrix a load efficiency of at least about 5 Newtons/weight % of biomass-based carbonaceous particulate material. A process to produce the foamed isocyanate-based polymer is also described. A polyol-based dispersion to produce the foamed isocyanate-based polymer is also described. It has been discovered that a relatively expensive petroleum-based copolymer polyol can be fully substituted by a relative inexpensive bio-based (amorphous carbon) dispersion with no significant compromise in important physical properties in the resulting polyurethane foam.

A stable polyol pre-mix composition comprises a blowing agent, a polyol, a surfactant, and a catalyst composition comprising an oxygen-containing amine catalyst and a metallic salt. The oxygen-containing amine catalyst may be, for example, one or more of an alkanol amine, an ether amine, or a morpholine group-containing compound such as, for example, 2-(2-dimethylaminoethoxy)ethanol or N,N,N-trimethylaminoethyl-ethanolamine. The metallic salt may be, for example, alkali earth carboxylates, alkali carboxylates, and carboxylates of metals selected form the group consisting of zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co), tin (Sn), cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), aluminum (Al), vanadium (V), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), chromium (Cr), scandium (Sc), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), strontium (Sr), and barium (Ba).

A stable polyol pre-mix composition comprises a blowing agent, a polyol, a surfactant, and a catalyst composition comprising an oxygen-containing amine catalyst and a metallic salt. The oxygen-containing amine catalyst may be, for example, one or more of an alkanol amine, an ether amine, or a morpholine group-containing compound such as, for example, 2-(2-dimethylaminoethoxy)ethanol or N,N,N-trimethylaminoethyl-ethanolamine. The metallic salt may be, for example, alkali earth carboxylates, alkali carboxylates, and carboxylates of metals selected form the group consisting of zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co), tin (Sn), cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), aluminum (Al), vanadium (V), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), chromium (Cr), scandium (Sc), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), strontium (Sr), and barium (Ba).

An object of the present invention is to provide a compound suitable for use as a latent curing agent, which does not produce an aldehyde compound when caused to react with an isocyanate compound. The present invention provides, as the compound, a silylamine compound represented by the following formula (1): ##STR00001##
in the formula (1), R.sup.1 to R.sup.12 each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R.sup.13 represents an alkylene group having 2 to 12 carbon atoms or an arylene group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, R.sup.14 to R.sup.21 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, y and z each independently represent an integer of from 1 to 11, and n represents an integer of from 1 to 43.

Nanoporous three-dimensional networks of polyurethane particles, e.g., polyurethane aerogels, and methods of preparation are presented herein. Such nanoporous networks may include polyurethane particles made up of linked polyisocyanate and polyol monomers. In some cases, greater than about 95% of the linkages between the polyisocyanate monomers and the polyol monomers are urethane linkages. To prepare such networks, a mixture including polyisocyanate monomers (e.g., diisocyanates, triisocyanates), polyol monomers (diols, triols), and a solvent is provided. The polyisocyanate and polyol monomers may be aliphatic or aromatic. A polyurethane catalyst is added to the mixture causing formation of linkages between the polyisocyanate monomers and the polyol monomers. Phase separation of particles from the reaction medium can be controlled to enable formation of polyurethane networks with desirable nanomorphologies, specific surface area, and mechanical properties. Various properties of such networks of polyurethane particles (e.g., strength, stiffness, flexibility, thermal conductivity) may be tailored depending on which monomers are provided in the reaction.

Nanoporous three-dimensional networks of polyurethane particles, e.g., polyurethane aerogels, and methods of preparation are presented herein. Such nanoporous networks may include polyurethane particles made up of linked polyisocyanate and polyol monomers. In some cases, greater than about 95% of the linkages between the polyisocyanate monomers and the polyol monomers are urethane linkages. To prepare such networks, a mixture including polyisocyanate monomers (e.g., diisocyanates, triisocyanates), polyol monomers (diols, triols), and a solvent is provided. The polyisocyanate and polyol monomers may be aliphatic or aromatic. A polyurethane catalyst is added to the mixture causing formation of linkages between the polyisocyanate monomers and the polyol monomers. Phase separation of particles from the reaction medium can be controlled to enable formation of polyurethane networks with desirable nanomorphologies, specific surface area, and mechanical properties. Various properties of such networks of polyurethane particles (e.g., strength, stiffness, flexibility, thermal conductivity) may be tailored depending on which monomers are provided in the reaction.

This disclosure provides polymer and film derivatives of specialized clean lignin with improved properties. This disclosure also provides methods of making polymer and film derivatives of specialized clean lignin with improved properties.

A blowing agent for thermosetting foams is disclosed. The blowing agent is a hydrofluoroolefin (HCFO), preferably HFCO-1234yf in combination with a hydrochlorofluoroolefin (HCFO) preferably one selected from HCFO-1233zd, HCFO-1223, HCFO-1233xf and mixtures thereof. The blowing agent is effective as a blowing agent in the manufacture of thermosetting foams.