The use of an Ostwald hydrophobe in the production of polymer foams, preferably polyurethane foam, in particular rigid polyurethane foam, from liquid reaction mixtures, to retard cell ageing, in particular to retard cell ageing caused by Ostwald ripening, is described.

Polyurethane foam compositions and processes to make flexible polyurethane foams are disclosed. Polyurethane foam is produced in the presence of additives comprising guanidine derivatives. Improvements in physical properties such as air flow, dimensional stability, tensile, tear, elongation and foam hardness is observed when these additives are present in polyurethane formulations. In addition, these additives can minimize polymer degradation under humid ageing conditions resulting in foam products with better mechanical properties.

The present invention relates to polyurethane foams having a polymeric foam structure including a plurality of closed cells therein; and an HFO or HCFO blowing agent, including HCFO-1233zd or HFO-1234ze. In certain aspects, the present invention relates to foam premixes, and the resulting foam structures, that include HCFO-1233zd as blowing agent used alone, or in certain aspects, in a blend with a co-blowing agent such as methyl formate.

The present invention relates to a process for producing rigid polyisocyanurate foams, wherein (A) polyisocyanates are mixed with (B) compounds having isocyanate-reactive hydrogen atoms, (C) flame retardants, (D) blowing agents, (E) catalyst at an isocyanate index of at least 220 to afford a reaction mixture and cured to afford the rigid polyisocyanurate foam, wherein the component (B) comprises at least one aromatic polyester polyol (b1) and at least one polyether polyol (b2), the polyester polyol (b1) has an average total functionality of ?3.0 and ?1.7 and the polyether polyol (b2) has a hydroxyl number of 160-350 mg KOH/g and is produced by alkoxylation of a starter or starter mixture having an average total functionality ?3.5 and ?1.5, wherein as the alkylene oxide for producing polyether polyol (b2) at least 80%by weight of ethylene oxide is employed and comprises at least 90% primary hydroxyl end groups and wherein the mass ratio of the component (b1) to component (b2) is ?3 and ?1 and the blowing agent (D) comprises chemical and physical blowing agents, wherein the chemical blowing agent is selected from the group consisting of formic acid-water mixtures and formic acid. The present invention further relates to a rigid polyisocyanurate foam obtainable by the process according to the invention.

A composition and process useful to make flexible polyurethane foams and in particular flexible molded polyurethane foams is disclosed. The usage of dipolar aprotic liquids such as DMSO, DMI, sulfolane, N-methyl-acetoacetamide, N,N-dimethylacetoacetamide as well as glycols containing hydroxyl numbers OH#1100 as cell opening aides for 2-cyanoacetamide or other similar molecules containing active methylene or methine groups to make a polyurethane foam is also disclosed. The advantage of using cell opener aids results in a) no foam shrinkage; b) lower use levels of cell opener; c) foam performance reproducibility d) optimum physical properties. In addition, combining the acid blocked amine catalyst together with the cell opener and the cell opener aid results in a less corrosive mixture as well as provides a method that does not require mechanical crushing for cell opening.

Disclosed herein are copolymers end-functionalized with functionalized silanes of specified structure, rubber compositions comprising the copolymer, and related processes for preparing the end-functionalized copolymer. The present disclosure also relates to tires having at least one component (e.g., a tread) containing the end-functionalized copolymer or a rubber composition thereof. The copolymer comprises 55-80% by weight of a conjugated diene monomer and 20-45% by weight of an aromatic vinyl monomer lacking any nitrogen substitution on its aromatic ring, wherein the total amount of conjugated diene monomer and aromatic vinyl monomer comprise 100% (of the total monomers in the copolymer), and the end-functionalization comprises at least one group having formula (I).

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Metathesized triacylglycerol polyols derived from certain natural oils, including canola oil, and their related physical properties are disclosed. Such metathesized triacylglycerol polyols are also used as a component of polyurethane applications, including polyurethane foams.

Described are a method of producing polyurethane foam comprising polyolefin-based polyols by using an additive composition comprising at least one ionic surfactant A selected from ionic surfactants of formula A.sup.M.sup.+, where A.sup.=anion selected from the group consisting of alkyl sulphates, aryl sulphates, sulphonates, polyether sulphates, polyether sulphonates, alkyl sulphonates, aryl sulphonates, alkyl carboxylates, aryl carboxylates, saccharinates and polyether phosphates, and M.sup.+=cation, and/or at least one ionic surfactant B selected from a quaternized ammonium compound, and also at least a tertiary amine compound C having a molar mass of at least 150 g/mol, and/or an oxazasilinane D, and also polyurethane foams thus obtained and their use.

A shaped flexible hot-cure PU foam article, preferably mattress and/or cushion, may be obtained by reaction of at least one polyol component and at least one isocyanate component in the presence of at least one blowing agent and one or more catalysts that catalyze the isocyanate-polyol and/or isocyanate-water reactions and/or isocyanate trimerization, foam stabilizer, and further additives. The foam stabilizer may include at least one compound of formula (1)

[R.sup.1.sub.2R.sup.2SiO.sub.1/2].sub.a[R.sup.1.sub.3SiO.sub.1/2].sub.b[R.sup.1.sub.2SiO.sub.2/2].sub.c[R.sup.1R.sup.2SiO.sub.2/2].sub.d[R.sup.3SiO.sub.3/2].sub.e[SiO.sub.4/2].sub.fG.sub.g(1).

Composition for production of phenolic foam, comprising at least one phenolic resin, at least one blowing agent, at least one catalyst and at least one polyethersiloxane of formula 1: M.sub.aM.sub.b.sup.1D.sub.cD.sub.d.sup.1.