The present invention relates to sulfur-containing polyester polyols and to the preparation and use thereof.

To produce quickly and easily an open cell rigid polyurethane foam having a uniform and low density, a method for producing an open cell rigid polyurethane foam is provided, the method comprising foaming a mixed liquid of (1) a polyol-containing component comprising (a) a polyol mixture, (b) a catalyst, and (c) a foaming agent (c), and (2) a polyisocyanate component. The foaming agent consists of water and an adduct of a primary or secondary amine compound and carbon dioxide, the amount of the water is 10 to 80 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the polyol mixture, and the amount of the adduct is 1 to 20 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the polyol mixture.

The present invention relates to flame-retarded rigid polyurethane and/or polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foams (hereinafter individually or jointly also termed “rigid PUR/PIR foams”), and also to a process for producing rigid PUR/PIR foams that comprises reacting a reaction mixture comprising A1 an isocyanate-reactive component, A2 blowing agent A3 catalyst, A4 optionally additive, A5 flame retardant, and B an isocyanate component, and that is characterized in that the flame retardant A5 comprises at least two phosphorus-containing compounds, with one of the two compounds having the general formula R.sup.1R.sup.2(O)P—[O—R.sup.5—R.sup.6—O—P(O)R.sup.3].sub.nR.sup.4 (I) or R.sup.1R.sup.2(O)P—[O—R.sup.5—X—R.sup.6—O—P(O)R.sup.3].sub.nR.sup.4 (II), where X=an alkylene group, N—R.sup.7, O, CO, S, SO, SO.sub.2 OR P—R.sup.7, n=an integer from 0 to 4, preferably 1 or 2, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4=in each case an aryl-O—, aryl- or alkyl groups, R.sup.5, R.sup.6=in each case an arylene group, R.sup.7=an aryl-O—, aryl- or alkyl group, where the at least one compound having the general formula (I) or (II) is used in an oligomer mixture and on average the value (aa) of n is 0.80 to 4.00, preferably 0.90 to 2.00, more preferably 1.25 to 1.75.

The present invention relates to open- and fine-celled rigid polyurethane foams which contain not only urethane groups (PUR) but also isocyanurate groups (PIR) and carbodiimide groups (CD) and to the use thereof in vacuum insulation panels.

Polyol premixes and thermally insulating rigid polyurethane foams, such as those that can be used as a thermal insulation medium in the construction of refrigerated storage devices, are disclosed. A polymer polyol having a OH number of greater than 260 mg KOH/g is utilized. The resulting polyurethane foams can exhibit improved thermal insulation properties without sacrificing other important physical and processing properties.

Disclosed are methods for formulating a polyisocyanurate foam-forming composition with good low temperature insulation performance. The polyisocyanurate foam-forming composition includes: a) an organic polyisocyanate, b) a polyol composition comprising at least one polyester polyol with a nominal hydroxyl functionality of at least 2.0, c) a blowing agent composition present in an amount sufficient to produce foam having a density of less than 1.85 lb/ft3 and comprising: (1) a hydrocarbon having an atmospheric pressure boiling point of at least 68° F. (20° C.), and (2) water, d) a trimerization catalyst, e) a flame retardant, and f) a silicone surface-active agent. The methods include: (A) evaluating a measured Relative Hydrocarbon Solubility and, optionally, evaluating a measured a Surfactant Water Solubility, a Surfactant Turbidity, or evaluating both the Surfactant Water Solubility and the Surfactant Turbidity; and (B) formulating the polyisocyanurate foam-forming composition with the silicone surface-active agent in light of such evaluation.

The present invention relates to novel types of PMMA foams and also to the production thereof. The recipes used in the production process include particularly crosslinkers and chain transfer agents as recipe constituents, mostly in low concentrations, in addition to suitable blowing agents. It was found that, surprisingly, the invention provides a simple-to-produce stable PMMA foam having very good properties.

The present invention provides fire-retarded rigid polyurethane foam comprising the reaction product of polyol and isocyanate foam forming components and a dialkyl phosphorus-containing compound, namely a reactive mono-hydroxyl-functional dialkyl phosphinates, as flame retardant, serving as highly efficient reactive flame retardant in said rigid polyurethane foam.

A polyurethane insulation foam composition is disclosed herein. The polyurethane insulation foam comprises: (i) an isocyanate compound; (ii) an isocyanate reactive compound; (iii) water; (iv) a tertiary amine compound; (v) a hydrophilic carboxylic acid compound; (vi) a halogenated olefin compound; and (vii) optionally, other additives.

Inorganic infrared attenuation agent blends have been developed to improve the thermal insulation properties of polymeric foams such as polystyrene low density foams. The inorganic infrared attenuation agent blends can include two or more metal oxides such as silicon dioxide, manganese (IV) oxide, iron (III) oxide, magnesium oxide, bismuth (III) oxide, cobalt oxide, zirconium (IV) oxide, molybdenum (III) oxide, titanium oxide, and calcium oxide. In some preferred embodiments, the inorganic infrared attenuation agent blends can include four or more of these metal oxides.