A polyurethane foam is produced by reacting a polyol-containing composition and an isocyanate composition. The polyol-containing composition includes a petrol-based polyol at greater than or equal to about 50 parts by weight percent and cellulose reinforcements. Additionally, a soy-based polyol is also included in various polyol-containing compositions.

Heterogeneous azeotrope or azeotrope-like compositions comprising trifluoroiodomethane (CF.sub.3I) and water which may include from about 47.7 wt. % to about 99.0 wt. % trifluoroiodomethane (CF.sub.3I) and from about 1.0 wt. % to about 52.3 wt. % water and having a boiling point between about 18.0° C. and about 19.0° C. at a pressure of between about 58.0 psia and about 60.0 psia. The azeotrope or azeotrope-like compositions may be used to separate impurities from trifluoroiodomethane (CF.sub.3I).

The present invention provides an energy absorbing foam material includes at least one shape memory polymer foam having a non-impact resistant configuration in a first force-application time, an impact resistant configuration in a second force-application time at a working temperature, a first glass transition temperature equal to or lower than a working temperature in the first force-application time, and a second glass transition temperature higher than a working temperature in the second force-application time. A second elastic modulus of the shape memory polymer foam in the second force-application time is at least 10 times than a first elastic modulus of the shape memory polymer form in the first force-application time at the working temperature.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a polyurethane elastomer, said method comprising the step of reacting at least one isocyanate composition (ZI) and one polyol composition (ZP) comprising a poly-ε-caprolactone polyol and an α-hydro-ω-hydroxy-poly(oxytetramethylene) polyol to obtain an isocyanate-functional prepolymer and the step of reacting the prepolymer obtained as per step (i) with at least one chain extender (KV). The present invention further relates to a polyurethane elastomer obtained or obtainable according to a method of the invention and also to the method of using a polyurethane elastomer according to the invention or a polyurethane elastomer obtained or obtainable according to a method of the invention in the manufacture of a shaped article, especially a damping element, a shock absorber or a stop buffer or part of a shoe or of a shoe sole, for example part of an insert sole or of a midsole.

The present invention relates to polyol mixtures comprising (b1) at least one polyether polyol having a hydroxyl value of 10 to 60 mg KOH/g and having a high proportion of ethylene oxide, (b2) at least one polyether polyol having a hydroxyl value of 10 to 100 mg KOH/g, a low proportion of ethylene oxide, and not less than 40% primary OH groups, and (b3) at least one polyether polyol having a hydroxyl value of 10 to 100 mg KOH/g, a low proportion of ethylene oxide, and not more than 30% primary OH groups, and b5) from 0.25 to 10 further parts by weight of polyurea, based on 100 parts by weight of components b1) to b3), optionally present as a constituent of a dispersion polyol based on one or more of components b1) to b3).

The invention further relates to a process for producing flexible polyurethane foams using the mixtures according to the invention, to the thereby obtainable flexible polyurethane foams, and to the use of the thereby obtainable flexible polyurethane foams as a cushioning element for furniture or as a seat element.

The present invention relates to a preparation of a block of fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam in which the expansion of the foam is constrained by the walls of a double belt laminator forming a tunnel, the block of fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam being composed of cells storing a gas, advantageously having low thermal conductivity, and exhibiting a density of less than 50 kg.m.sup.−3 with a content of fibers C.sub.f representing at least 4% by weight of the block of fiber-reinforced foam, in which the impregnation time of the fibers t.sub.i is less than the cream time t.sub.c of the polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam.

A polyurethane elastomer, which can be a foam, generated from (a) an organic diisocyanate, (b) a polyester resin, (c) a chain extender comprised of a polyhydric alcohol, (d) a crosslinker, (e) a plasticizer, (f) a surfactant, (g) a bio-additive, (h) a blowing agent, and (i) an optional dye; and optionally where the elastomer has, for example, a hardness value of, for example, from about 15 Asker C to about 60 Asker C, a tensile strength of from about 1 MPa to about 10 MPa, a resilience of from about 30 percent to about 60 percent, an elongation at break of from about 150 percent to about 700 percent, and a tear strength from about 2 Newtons/millimeters to about 4 Newtons/millimeters, and which elastomers can be selected for footwear.

A tertiary amine compound is shown and described herein. The tertiary amine is a reaction product of an isocyanate and a compound bearing an active hydrogen and a bicyclic tertiary amine in its molecule. The tertiary amine compounds have been found to be suitable as catalysts for producing polyurethanes. Also shown and described are processes employing the tertiary amine compounds in a reaction of an isocyanate and an alcohol in the presence of the tertiary amine compounds. Further, also shown and described is a method for making the tertiary amine.

The present invention relates to a process for producing polyurethanes having reduced aldehyde emissions using large amounts of phenolic antioxidants. The present invention further relates to the polyurethanes obtainable from this process, and to the use of such polyurethanes, for example in the interior of automobiles.

The invention relates to a method in which a polyester melt containing one or more polyesters is produced, the polyester melt being foamed by a blowing agent and a foamed granulate is produced from the foamed polyester melt. The intrinsic viscosity (IV) of the polyester melt is reduced by the blowing agent about at least 0.05 dl/g, measured according to ASTM D4603, and the IV of the foamed granulate is then increased by means of a solid phase polycondensation (SSP).