Rigid polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foams, polyester polyols used to produce them, and methods for formulating the foams are disclosed. The foams comprise a reaction product of a polyisocyanate, a polyester polyol, water, a surfactant, a catalyst and optional ingredients. The polyester polyols comprise a phthalimide-containing polyacid, a phthalimide-containing polyol, or a combination thereof. Rigid foams produced from the polyester polyols exhibit higher thermal stability and/or greater intumescence when compared with foams made from other polyester polyols. The phthalimide-containing polyester polyols should allow formulators to improve the flammability performance of rigid foams with reduced levels of flame retardants and/or lower index and should facilitate the production of thinner insulation panels.

The present invention relates to a polymer comprising repeating units consisting of a substituted pyrrole ring. In particular, the repeating units consist of substituted pyrrole containing polar groups capable of interacting with carbon allotropes such as carbon nanotubes, graphene or nanographites, in order to improve the chemical-physical characteristics of the allotropes mainly by increasing their dispersibility and stability in liquid media and in polymer matrices. The invention also relates to products of addition of these polymers with carbon allotropes in order to obtain easily dispersible macromolecules.

The present invention relates to a polymer comprising repeating units consisting of a substituted pyrrole ring. In particular, the repeating units consist of substituted pyrrole containing polar groups capable of interacting with carbon allotropes such as carbon nanotubes, graphene or nanographites, in order to improve the chemical-physical characteristics of the allotropes mainly by increasing their dispersibility and stability in liquid media and in polymer matrices. The invention also relates to products of addition of these polymers with carbon allotropes in order to obtain easily dispersible macromolecules.

A polyurethane foam composition comprising: (a) an isocyanate compound; (b) one or more isocyanate reactive compounds at least one of the isocyanate reactive compounds comprises an aromatic polyester polyol compound comprising an imide moiety wherein the aromatic polyester polyol is the reaction product of: (i) a cyclic anhydride compound; (ii) a phthalic acid based compound, (iii) a primary amine compound, (iv) an aliphatic diol compound; (v) optionally, a high functionality, low molecular weight polyether polyol compound; (vi) optionally, a hydrophobic compound; and wherein the weight ratio of Component (i) to Component (ii) is from 1:24 to 24:1; and wherein the aromatic polyester polyol is liquid at 25° C. and comprises a hydroxy value ranging from about 30 to about 600; and (c) a blowing agent.

Polyol compositions that contain imide groups are prepared by producing imide compounds from trimellitic anhydride and an aromatic aminoacid or an aromatic diamine, then esterifying the imide compounds with one or more polyols that have hydroxyl equivalent weights of 30 to 500. Aromatic carboxylic acid derivatives may be present during the esterification step to produce polyol compositions that contain species that have imide groups, and other species that do not have imide groups. The polyol compositions are useful in making isocyanate-based polymers, in particular polyurethane and/or polyurethane-isocyanuranate foams. The presence of the imide groups in the isocyanate-based polymers imparts fire retardant properties.

Biodegradable photoluminescent polymer (BPLP) which comprises an oligomer synthesized from a multifunctional monomer, a diol, and an amino acid by reacting (i) a multifunctional monomer comprising citric acid or triethyl citrate with (ii) a diol to form a reaction product, and further reacting the reaction product with (iii) an amino acid, wherein the amino acid is linked as a side group to the oligomer backbone. The BPLP of the present invention poses tunable fluorescence emission characteristics and are cell-compatible and biodegradable. The BPLP can serve as both implant materials and bioimaging probes.

A polyurethane foam composition comprising: (a) an isocyanate compound; (b) one or more isocyanate reactive compounds at least one of the isocyanate reactive compounds comprises an aromatic polyester polyol compound comprising an imide moiety wherein the aromatic polyester polyol is the reaction product of: (i) a cyclic anhydride compound; (ii) a phthalic acid based compound, (iii) a primary amine compound, (iv) an aliphatic diol compound; (v) optionally, a high functionality, low molecular weight polyether polyol compound; (vi) optionally, a hydrophobic compound; and wherein the weight ratio of Component (i) to Component (ii) is from 1:24 to 24:1; and wherein the aromatic polyester polyol is liquid at 25 C. and comprises a hydroxy value ranging from about 30 to about 600; and (c) a blowing agent.

Rigid polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foams, polyester polyols used to produce them, and methods for formulating the foams are disclosed. The foams comprise a reaction product of a polyisocyanate, a polyester polyol, water, a surfactant, a catalyst and optional ingredients. The polyester polyols comprise a phthalimide-containing polyacid, a phthalimide-containing polyol, or a combination thereof. Rigid foams produced from the polyester polyols exhibit higher thermal stability and/or greater intumescence when compared with foams made from other polyester polyols. The phthalimide-containing polyester polyols should allow formulators to improve the flammability performance of rigid foams with reduced levels of flame retardants and/or lower index and should facilitate the production of thinner insulation panels.