Method of forming an aqueous dispersion of polyurethane

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR SUSPENDING A POLYMER IN WATER WHICH COMPRISES PREPARING A MIXTURE OF COMPOUNDS WHICH WILL REACT TO FORM A POLYURETHANE, SUBMERGING THE SAID MIXTURE IN WATER BEFORE ANY SUBSTANTIAL CHEMICAL REACTION RESULTING IN INCREASED VISCOSITY HAS TAKEN PLACE BETWEEN THE SAID COMPOUNDS, STIRRING THE RESULTING TWO PHASE SYSTEM TO DISPERSE THE ORGANIC PHASE AS DISCRETE PARTICLES IN THE WATER, SAID WATER CONTAINING AN EMULSIFYING AGENT, AND MAINTAINING THE DISPERSION UNTIL THE SAID PARTICLES REMAIN DISCRETE WHILE THE SYSTEM IS QUIESCENT, SAID MIXTURE OF COMPOUNDS WHICH WILL REACT TO FORM A POLYURETHANE COMPRISING AN ORGANIC COMPOUND FREE FROM PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AMINO GROUPS AND HAVING AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROXYL AND CARBOXYL GROUPS, A MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ABOUT 60, AND A REACTIVITY NUMBER OF NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 1900, SAID COMPOUND BEING CAPABLE OF REACTING WITH AN ORGANIC POLYISOCYANATE TO FORM A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF URETHANE AND AMIDE LINKAGES, AT LEAST ABOUT 0.5 EQUIVALENT OF ORGANIC POLYISOCYANATE PER EQUIVALENT OF REACTIVE HYDROGEN IN SAID ORGANIC COMPOUND AND A CATALYTIC AMOUNT OF A CATALYST WHICH PROMOTES REACTION BETWEEN -NCO AND THE REACTIVE HYDROGEN OF SAID ORGANIC COMPOUND IN PREFERENCE TO THE REACTION BETWEEN -NCO AND WATER.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR SUSPENDING A POLYMER IN WATER WHICH COMPRISES PREPARING A MIXTURE OF COMPOUNDS WHICH WILL REACT TO FORM A POLYURETHANE, SUBMERGING THE SAID MIXTURE IN WATER BEFORE ANY SUBSTANTIAL CHEMICAL REACTION RESULTING IN INCREASED VISCOSITY HAS TAKEN PLACE BETWEEN THE SAID COMPOUNDS, STIRRING THE RESULTING TWO PHASE SYSTEM TO DISPERSE THE ORGANIC PHASE AS DISCRETE PARTICLES IN THE WATER, SAID WATER CONTAINING AN EMULSIFYING AGENT, AND MAINTAINING THE DISPERSION UNTIL THE SAID PARTICLES REMAIN DISCRETE WHILE THE SYSTEM IS QUIESCENT, SAID MIXTURE OF COMPOUNDS WHICH WILL REACT TO FORM A POLYURETHANE COMPRISING AN ORGANIC COMPOUND FREE FROM PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AMINO GROUPS AND HAVING AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROXYL AND CARBOXYL GROUPS, A MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ABOUT 60, AND A REACTIVITY NUMBER OF NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 1900, SAID COMPOUND BEING CAPABLE OF REACTING WITH AN ORGANIC POLYISOCYANATE TO FORM A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF URETHANE AND AMIDE LINKAGES, AT LEAST ABOUT 0.5 EQUIVALENT OF ORGANIC POLYISOCYANATE PER EQUIVALENT OF REACTIVE HYDROGEN IN SAID ORGANIC COMPOUND AND A CATALYTIC AMOUNT OF A CATALYST WHICH PROMOTES REACTION BETWEEN -NCO AND THE REACTIVE HYDROGEN OF SAID ORGANIC COMPOUND IN PREFERENCE TO THE REACTION BETWEEN -NCO AND WATER.