A manufacturing method described in the present invention provides antimicrobial copper-containing polyurethane foams by embedding microparticles of metallic copper (Cu), cuprous oxide (Cu.sub.2O), cupric oxide (CuO), or cuprous iodide (CuI), or combinations thereof, into polyurethane foams, wherein said microparticles are homogenously distributed throughout the formed polymeric matrix of said foam. The method combines these copper-containing microparticles, or polyurethane liquid additive containing these particles, mixed in polyol with isocyanate.

A reaction system for forming a viscoelastic polyurethane foam includes an isocyanate component that has at least one isocyanate and an isocyanate-reactive component that is a mixture formed by adding at least a polyol component, an additive component, and a preformed aqueous polymer dispersion. The mixture includes, based on the total weight of the mixture, from 50.0 wt % to 99.8 wt % of a polyol component including at least one polyether polyol, from 0.1 wt % to 50.0 wt % of an additive component including at least one catalyst, and from 0.1 wt % to 6.0 wt % of a preformed aqueous polymer dispersion. The preformed aqueous polymer dispersion has a solids content from 10 wt % to 80 wt %, based on the total weight of the preformed aqueous polymer dispersion, and is one of an aqueous acid polymer dispersion or an aqueous acid modified polyolefin polymer dispersion in which the polyolefin is derived from at least one C.sub.2 to C.sub.20 alpha-olefin.

A biodegradable foam which includes a polyester-based polyurethane foam and a mixture comprised of a soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria embedded in a carrier compound. The mixture of the soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria is homogenously dispersed throughout the polyester-based polyurethane foam. This biodegradable foam exhibits biodegradation rates higher than a polyester-based polyurethane foam absent the soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria.

A process for forming a combustion-modified ether (CME) polyurethane foam includes providing a polyol component including a PIPA polyol that is a dispersion having a solids content from 10 wt % to 75 wt %, based on a total weight of the PIPA polyol, providing an isocyanate component that includes at least one polyisocyanate, providing an additive component that includes at least one flame retardant, and forming a reaction mixture including the polyol component, the isocyanate component, and the additive component to form a CME polyurethane foam. The reaction mixture has an isocyanate index from 90 to 150. The PIPA polyol is a reaction product of a mixture including at least a low equivalent weight polyol having a number average hydroxyl equivalent weight of less than 80, a polyisocyanate compound having a number average isocyanate equivalent weight that is less than 225, and a liquid base poly ether polyol having a number average hydroxyl equivalent weight of at least 200 and at least 80% of secondary hydroxyl groups based on a total amount of hydroxyl groups in the liquid base polyether polyol.

Polyester polyols made from thermoplastic polyesters are disclosed. The polyols can be made by heating a thermoplastic polyester such as virgin PET, recycled PET, or mixtures thereof, with a glycol to give a digested intermediate, which is then condensed with a dimer fatty acid to give the polyol. The invention includes a polyester polyol comprising recurring units of a glycol-digested thermoplastic polyester and a dimer fatty acid. The polyester polyol can also be made in a single step by reacting the thermoplastic polyester, glycol, and dimer acid under conditions effective to produce the polyol. High-recycle-content polyols having desirable properties and attributes for formulating polyurethane products, including aqueous polyurethane dispersions, can be made. The polyols provide a sustainable alternative to bio- or petrochemical-based polyols.

A process for recycling a polyurethane material wherein the polyurethane material comprises a moiety that is capable of undergoing decomposition through acidolysis, the process comprising: contacting the polyurethane material with an acid solution and allowing at least a portion of the polyurethane material to decompose into a recovered raw material composition comprising a degradation compound; and introducing an acetoacetylated polyol into the recovered raw material composition and reacting the acetoacetylated polyol with the degradation compound to form a polyol compound.

The present invention relates to a selective process for producing polyurethane prepolymers, to the polyurethane prepolymers obtainable from this process, and also to a process for producing moisture-crosslinking silylated polymers, more particularly silane-functional hybrid polymers, and also to the use thereof in CASE sectors (coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers).

Polyester polyols, processes for making them, and applications for the polyols are disclosed. In some aspects, the polyols comprise recurring units from a thermoplastic polyester or an aromatic polyacid source, a glycol, and a hydroxy-functional ketal acid, ester or amide. Optionally, the polyols incorporate recurring units of a hydrophobe. The polyols are made in one or multiple steps; in some aspects, the thermoplastic polyester or aromatic polyacid source and the glycol are reacted first, followed by reaction with the hydroxy-functional ketal acid, ester or amide. The resulting polyols have good transparency and little or no particulate settling or phase separation. High-recycle-content polyols having desirable properties and attributes for formulating polyurethane products, including aqueous polyurethane dispersions, flexible and rigid foams, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers can be made. The polyols provide a sustainable alternative to bio- or petrochemical-based polyols.

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.