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.

An alkoxylated bio-oil composition is provided. The alkoxylated bio-oil composition may include an alkoxylated bio-oil prepared from an alkoxylation of dewatered bio-oil. A method for preparing an alkoxylated bio-oil composition is provided. A copolymer composition is provided. The copolymer composition may include an alkoxylated bio-oil copolymer unit. A method for preparing a copolymer composition is provided.

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.

The present invention provides a process for producing a rigid polyisocyanurate foam involving reacting at an isocyanate index of from about 175 to about 400, a polyisocyanate with at least one natural-oil polyol containing at least about 35 wt. %, based on the weight of the polyol, of natural oil, having a hydroxyl number from about 175 to about 375 and a hydroxyl functionality of about 2.0 to about 2.8, in the presence of a blowing agent and optionally, in the presence of one or more of surfactants, flame retardants, pigments, catalysts and fillers, wherein the resulting foam has a renewable biobased content of at least 8% by weight. The foams provided by the inventive process possess properties similar to foams produced from petroleum-derived materials and may find use in wall or roof insulation systems. The high biobased content (>8%) may allow wall or roof insulation systems containing these foams to be considered for the U.S. Government's preferred procurement program.

Polyurethane foam-forming compositions, methods of producing polyurethane foams, polyurethane foams produced from such compositions made by such methods, as well as isocyanate-reactive compositions. The polyurethane foam-forming compositions include a polyol blend, a blowing agent composition, and a polyisocyanate. The polyol blend includes an aromatic amine-initiated polyether polyol, a saccharide-initiated polyether polyol, and an aromatic polyester polyol and has a content of —C.sub.2H.sub.4O— units of 3 to 6% by weight, based on the total weight of the polyurethane foam-forming composition. The blowing agent composition includes a hydrochlorofluoroolefin and a carbon dioxide-generating chemical blowing agent.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are foam formulations. As an example, foam formulation can include a polyol composition having an amine-imitated polyol that is from 10 percent to 20 percent of a total weight of the polyol composition and an additional polyol that is from 80 percent to 90 percent of the total weight of the polyol composition, a polyisocyanate, a blowing catalyst, and a gel catalyst, where a combination of the blowing catalyst and the gel catalyst is from 0.5 percent to 1.5 percent the total weight of the polyol composition and where the blowing catalyst is from 50 percent to 100 percent of a total weight of the blowing catalyst and the gel catalyst.

A method for forming polyurethane foams for vehicle seat components in a molding apparatus is provided. The method includes a step of directing one or more polyol compositions into a mold. Each of the one or more polyol compositions includes a polyol, water, and a catalyst. The method also includes a step of directing an isocyanate composition into the mold, the isocyanate composition including one or more isocyanates. The one or more polyol compositions and the one or more isocyanates are combined into a reaction composition that forms a foamed vehicle seat component. Characteristically, the mold has a shape that defines a foamed vehicle seat component. Characteristically, either the one or more polyol compositions and/or the isocyanate composition includes a liquid antimicrobial agent that is a liquid at temperatures above 10° C.

This disclosure provides methods for the chemical modification of triglycerides that are highly enriched in specific fatty acids and subsequent use thereof for producing functionally versatile polymers.

A process is described for producing PU foams, especially rigid PU foams, based on foamable reaction mixtures containing polyisocyanates, compounds having reactive hydrogen atoms, blowing agents, foam stabilizers, and possibly further additives, wherein specific perfluoropolyethers are additionally used.

The present invention relates to a cleaning implement that includes a melamine-formaldehyde foam. The melamine-formaldehyde foam cleaning implement has a d90/d10 ratio above 1.65 and a compression deflection force above 3.25 psi. Additionally the present invention encompasses processes for making and methods for cleaning hard surfaces with a cleaning implement according to the present invention.