The present invention is directed to processes for producing isocyanates and isocyanate derivatives from epoxide and carbon monoxide reagents. In preferred embodiments, the processes include a step for providing carbonylation of an epoxide reagent with a carbon monoxide reagent to produce a beta-lactone intermediate. In certain preferred embodiments, further carbonylation of a beta-lactone intermediate produces a succinic anhydride intermediate. The processes of the present invention include steps for rearranging beta-lactone intermediates and/or succinic anhydride intermediates to produce isocyanate products and/or isocyanate derivatives. In certain preferred embodiments, the isocyanate products may be copolymerized with polyol oligomers to provide polyurethane products.

Hydrophilic polyurethane foam is made from a diphenylmethane-based quasi-prepolymer having specified isocyanate and oxyethylene contents. The foams have an unusually good capacity for retaining water even when under compressive forces. They also exhibit at most moderate swelling when saturated with water. The foam is useful as a layer of a water containment system such as a green roof or blue roof system.

A new and improved process can be used for depolymerization of polyurethanes with a strong inorganic base. Polyether polyols and polyamines can be recovered in high yields.

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 and at least one catalyst, at least one cyclic 1,3-diketone and at least one aminoalcohol or alkylhydroxylamine. Foams so produced emit low levels of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde.

Foamable waterborne dispersions which form stable flexible foams under ambient cure conditions are disclosed, said foamable waterborne dispersions comprising: a polyurethane polymer formed from one or more aliphatic or cycloaliphatic polyisocyanate and at least two different polymeric polyol components selected from polyether polyol, polyester polyol, and polycarbonate polyol; wherein the ambient cure conditions include a temperature of from 4° C. to 32° C., and a humidity of 0% relative humidity to 90% relative humidity. Also disclosed are the flexible foams produced from the foamable waterborne dispersions, as well as methods of providing a space filling layer or space filling volume adjacent to or on a surface, said methods comprising applying to said surface a foamed sample of the foamable waterborne dispersions, and allowing the foamed sample of foamable waterborne dispersion to dry under ambient conditions to yield a stable flexible foam.

A flexible polyurethane foam comprises up to 10 wt % of a fumed silica having a surface area from 50 to 150 m.sup.2/g, wherein the fumed silica has C1-C3 alkylsilyl groups at its surface, the flexible polyurethane foam exhibiting has a resilience of at least 40%, for example, from 40% to 70%, a dry compression set no greater than 15%, for example, from 3% to 15%, or both. Alternatively in addition, the flexible polyurethane foam may have a compression force deflection at 50% as measured by ASTM D3574 that is at least 30%, for example, at least 50%, at least 70%, or from 30% to 155%, greater than a flexible polyurethane foam having the same composition but with polyol replacing the silica.

Recovery times and/or airflow of flexible polyurethane foam is increased by including certain tackifiers in the foam formulation. The tackifiers are formed into an emulsion that includes a polyether containing oxyethylene groups, a nonionic surfactant and certain fumed silica, carbon black or talc particles.

A flexible foam composition comprising a flexible foam structure comprising a plurality of struts, and a plurality of fibers, where a majority of the fibers are associated with the struts. The fibers may be thermally conductive fibers. The fibers include, but are not necessarily limited to, homopolymer and/or copolymer fibers having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of −50° C. (−58° F.) or greater, carbon fibers, animal-based fibers, plant-based fibers, metal fibers, and combinations thereof. The presence of fibers can impart to the flexible foam composition greater indentation force deflection (IFD), greater static thermal conductivity, improved compression set, improved height retention or durability, and/or a combination of these improvements. The flexible foam composition may be polyurethane foam, latex foam, polyether polyurethane foam, viscoelastic foam, high resilient foam, polyester polyurethane foam, foamed polyethylene, foamed polypropylene, expanded polystyrene, foamed silicone, melamine foam, among others.

The invention relates to a composition comprising and to a process for preparing moisture-crosslinking polymers under catalysis by a metal-siloxane-silanol(ate) compound, and to the use of the composition in the CASE sector (coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers), especially in the field of adhesives and sealants.

A preparation contains a thermoplastic polyisocyanate polyaddition product (TPPP), where the thermoplastic polyisocyanate polyaddition product (TPPP) is obtained by reacting a polyisocyanate, a compound reactive with isocyanate, and water, in the presence of a defoamer containing a polyalphaolefin. Respective production processes as well as the use and devices derived from that preparation are useful.