Polyester - urethane foam containing synthetic detergent and method of preparing same

Claim 1

AS AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, A SOFT, FLEXIBLE SYNTHETIC SPONGE SUITABLE FOR USE IN WASHING SURFACES AND COMPRISING A SOFT, FLEXIBLE FOAM OF POLYURETHANE RESIN, SAID RESIN BEING FORMED BY REACTION OF (A) 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF A POLYESTER OF A HYDROXYL VALUE OF ABOUT 60-80, SAID POLYESTER BEING FORMED BY THE REACTION OF (1) A MIXTURE OF POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOLS, THE MAJOR PORTION OF WHICH IS AN ALCOHOL SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL, DIETHYLENE GLYCOL, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, 1,3-BUTYLENE GLYCOL, 1,4-BUTYLENE GLYCOL, A MINOR AMOUNT OF THE MIXTURE OF POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOLS BEING SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF GLYCEROL, TRIETHYLOLMETHANE, TRIMETHYLOLPROPANE, PENTAERYTHRITOL AND MANNITOL, AND (2) A DICARBOXYLIC ACID SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ADIPIC ACID, SUCCINIC ACID, SEBACIC ACID, AZELAIC ACID, PHTHALIC ACID, TEREPHTHALIC ACID AND ISOPHTHALIC ACID, (B) ABOUT 20 TO ABOUT 35 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF TOLUENE DIISOCYANATE, (C) ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 4 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF WATER, AND (D) A DETERGENT DISPERSED IN THE PLASTIC AND BEING SELECTED FROM A CLASS CONSISTING OF ALKYL-ARYL SULFONIC ACIDS AND SODIUM SALTS, POTASSIUM SALTS AND AMMONIUM SALTS OF SAID ACIDS, SAID DETERGENT BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT OF ABOUT 1 TO 12 PERCENT BY WEIGHT BASED UPON THE POLYESTER AND IN AN AMOUNT IN EXCESS OF THAT WHICH WILL DISSOLVE IN THE POLYESTER, THE MAJOR PORTION OF SAID FOAM COMPRISING A MASS OF RELATIVELY LARGE, INTERCOMMUNICATING, BUBBLE-LIKE CELLS OF A DIAMETER WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN 0.05 INCH, BUT NOT SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN ABOUT 1/2 INCH AND BEING UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED IN A FOAM OF CELLS OF A DIAMETER NOT ESSENTIALLY GREATER THAN 0.05 INCH, THE LATTER CELLS PROVIDING WALLS SEPARATING THE LARGER CELLS FROM EACH OTHER, SAID CELLS BEING ADAPTED TO TAKE UP WATER WHEN THE SOFT SPONGE IS SQUEEZED AND RELEASED IN WATER.