Process for the preparation of white graft polymer dispersions and flame-retardant polyurethane foams

Claim 2

A white, stable low viscosity graft polymer dispersion formed by polymerizing in the presence of a free radial initiator (a) an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or mixture of monomers provided that in the mixture of monomers the concentration of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile is less than 50 weight percent of the weight of monomers, in (b) from 25 to 75 weight percent based on the total weight of the dispersion, a polyol mixture comprising (1) a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol having an equivalent weight from 100 to 10,000, (2) a macromer containing induced unsaturation consisting of the reaction product of a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol having an equivalent weight from 100 to 10,000 with a compound selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, maleic anhydride, and fumaric acid, wherein the polyol mixture has an unsaturation of less than 0.1 mole of induced unsaturated per mole of polyol mixture.

Claim 3

The polymer dispersion of claim 1 wherein the amount of induced unsaturation in the polyol mixture ranges from 0.001 mole of unsaturation per mole of polyol mixture to 0.09 mole of unsaturation per mole of polyol mixture.

Claim 4

The polymer dispersion of claim 1 wherein the monomer is selected from the group consisting of at least 50 weight percent styrene, and the remainder selected from methylstyrene, vinyl toluene, methyl methacrylate, methacrylonitrile, divinylbenzene and acrylonitrile.

Claim 5

The polymer dispersion of claim 1 wherein the monomer mixture consists of styrene and acrylonitrile in the weight ratio of 9:1 to 1.05:0.95.

Claim 6

The polymer dispersion of claim 1 wherein the monomer is styrene.

Claim 7

The polymer dispersion of claim 1 wherein the polymerization occurs in the presence of a chain transfer agent selected from the group consisting of dodecanethiol, bromotrichloromethane, 2-butanol, 1-butanol, allyl alcohol, 2-mercaptoethanol and octadecyl mercaptan.

Claim 8

A process for the preparation of a white, stable, low viscosity graft polymer dispersion which comprises (a) a polyol mixture comprising (1) a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol, (2) a macromer consisting of the reaction product of a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol, with a compound selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, maleic anhydride and fumaric acid, (b) polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or mixture of monomers provided that in the mixture of monomers the concentration of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile is less than 50 weight percent of the weight of monomers, in the presence of a free radical initiator in, from 25 to 75 weight percent based on the total weight of the dispersion, said polyol mixture, wherein the polyol mixture has an induced unsaturation of less than 0.1 mole per mole of polyol mixture.

Claim 9

A process for the preparation of a white, stable, low viscosity graft polymer dispersion which comprises (a) a polyol mixture comprising (1) a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol, (2) a macromer consisting of the reaction product of a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol, with a compound selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, maleic anhydride and fumaric acid, (b) polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or mixture of monomers provided that in the mixture of monomers the concentration of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile is less than 50 weight percent of the weight of monomers, in the presence of a free radical initiator in, from 25 to 75 weight percent based on the total weight of the dispersion, said polyol mixture, wherein the polyol mixture has an induced unsaturation of less than 0.1 mole per mole of polyol mixture.

Claim 10

A polyurethane elastomer of foam prepared by reacting the (a) polymer dispersion of claim 1, (b) an organic polyisocyanate, (c) a urethane forming catalyst, and optionally (d) a blowing agent, (e) foam stabilizers, and/or (f) flame retardants.

Claim 11

A white, stable low viscosity graft polymer dispersion formed by polymerizing in the presence of a free radical initiator (a) an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or mixture of monomers provided that in the mixture of monomers the concentration of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile is less than 50 weight percent of the weight of monomers in (b) from 25 to 75 weight percent based on the total weight of the dispersion, a polyol mixture comprising (1) a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol having an equivalent weight from 100 to 10,000, (2) a macromer containing induced unsaturation consisting of the reaction product of a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol having an equivalent weight from 100 to 10,000, with a compound selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, maleic anhydride and fumaric acid, and optionally an alkylene oxide wherein the polyol mixture has an unsaturation of less than 0.1 mole of induced isomerized fumarate unsaturation per mole of polyol mixture.

Claim 12

A white, stable low viscosity graft polymer dispersion formed by polymerizing in the presence of a free radical initiator (a) an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or mixture of monomers provided that in the mixture of monomers the concentration of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile is less than 50 weight percent of the weight of monomers in (b) from 25 to 75 weight percent based on the total weight of the dispersion, a polyol mixture comprising (1) a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol having an equivalent weight from 100 to 10,000, (2) a macromer containing induced unsaturation consisting of the reaction product of a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol having an equivalent weight from 100 to 10,000, with a compound selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, maleic anhydride and fumaric acid, and optionally an alkylene oxide wherein the polyol mixture has an unsaturation of less than 0.1 mole of induced isomerized fumarate unsaturation per mole of polyol mixture.

Claim 13

A white, stable low viscosity graft polymer dispersion formed by polymerizing in the presence of a free radical initiator (a) an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or mixture of monomers provided that in the mixture of monomers the concentration of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile is less than 50 weight percent of the weight of monomers in (b) from 25 to 75 weight percent based on the total weight of the dispersion, a polyol mixture comprising (1) a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol having an equivalent weight from 100 to 10,000, (2) a macromer containing induced unsaturation consisting of the reaction product of a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol having an equivalent weight from 100 to 10,000, with a compound selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, maleic anhydride and fumaric acid and optionally an alkylene oxide wherein the polyol mixture has an unsaturation of less than 0.1 mole of induced unsaturation of less than 0.1 mole of induced unsaturation per mole of polyol mixture and wherein the macromer is prepared in the presence of from 0.01 to 0.5 weight percent, based on the weight of the polyol mixture, of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of salts and oxides of divalent metals.

Claim 14

A white, stable low viscosity graft polymer dispersion formed by polymerizing in the presence of a free radical initiator (a) an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or mixture of monomers provided that in the mixture of monomers the concentration of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile is less than 50 weight percent of the weight of monomers in (b) from 25 to 75 weight percent based on the total weight of the dispersion, a polyol mixture comprising (1) a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol having an equivalent weight from 100 to 10,000, (2) a macromer containing induced unsaturation consisting of the reaction product of a polyoxyalkylene polyether polyol having an equivalent weight from 100 to 10,000, with a compound selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, maleic anhydride and fumaric acid and optionally an alkylene oxide wherein the polyol mixture has an unsaturation of less than 0.1 mole of induced unsaturation of less than 0.1 mole of induced unsaturation per mole of polyol mixture and wherein the macromer is prepared in the presence of from 0.01 to 0.5 weight percent, based on the weight of the polyol mixture, of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of salts and oxides of divalent metals.