Non-elastomeric polyurethane compositions containing cyclic ethers

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SOLID, RIGID, POLYURETHANE ARTICLES HAVING A DENSITY OF AT LEAST 1 G/CC, A PERCENT ELONGATION OF LESS THAN 80, AND WHICH CAN BE DEMOLDED WITHIN A PERIOD OF ABOUT 5 MINUTES WITHOUT THE ADDITION OF AN EXTERNAL SOURCE OF HEAT WICH PROCESS COMPRISES:

Claim 3

ADMIXING THE COMPONENTS OF A COMPOSITION COMPRISING A. A POLYETHER POLYOL HAVING FROM 3 TO ABOUT 8 HYDROXYL GROUPS AND A HYDROXYL EQUIVALENT WEIGHT BETWEEN ABOUT 75 AND ABOUT 230, B. AN ORGANIC POLYISOCYANATE C. A LIQUID MODIFUER COMPOUND HAVING A BOILING POINT ABOVE ABOUT 150*C SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CYCLIC POLYETHERS AND MIXTURES THEREOF, SAID POLYETHER BEING CYLIC TETRAMERS AND ABOVE OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, PROPYLENE OXIDE, BUTYLENE OXIDE OR EPICHLOROHYDRIN, AND D. A NON-AMINE-CONTAINING CATALYST FOR URETHANE FORMATION, WHICH IS AN ORGANO METAL COMPOUND; WHEREIN COMPONENTS (A) AND (B) ARE PRESENT IN AMOUNTS SO AS TO PROVIDE AN NCO:OH RATIO OF FROM ABOUT 0.8:1 TO ABOUT 2:1, COMPONENT (C) IS PRESENT IN QUANTITIES OF FROM ABOUT 20 TO ABOUT 50 PERCENT WITH THE PROVISO THAT WHEN COMPONENT (B) IS AN NCO-CONTAINING PREPOLYMER CONTAINING LESS THAN ABOUT 40% NCO BY WEIGHT, COMPONENT (C) IS PRESENT IN QUANTITIES OF FROM ABOUT 10% TO ABOUT 50% BY WEIGHT OF THE SUM OF COMPONENTS (A),(B), AND (C); AND COMPONENT (D) IS PRESENT IN QUANTITIES OF FROM ABOUT 0.2 TO ABOOUT 10 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF THE SUM OF THE WEIGHTS OF COMPONENTS (A), (B) AND (C); AND WHEREIN SAID POLYMER CAN BE DEMOLDED WITHIN LESS THAN ABOUT 5 MINUTES, WITHOUT THE APPLICATION OF AN EXTERNAL SOURCE OF HEAT, AFTER ADMIXTURE OF SAID COMPOSITION;

Claim 4

ADMIXING THE COMPONENTS OF A COMPOSITION COMPRISING A. A POLYETHER POLYOL HAVING FROM 3 TO ABOUT 8 HYDROXYL GROUPS AND A HYDROXYL EQUIVALENT WEIGHT BETWEEN ABOUT 75 AND ABOUT 230, B. AN ORGANIC POLYISOCYANATE C. A LIQUID MODIFUER COMPOUND HAVING A BOILING POINT ABOVE ABOUT 150*C SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CYCLIC POLYETHERS AND MIXTURES THEREOF, SAID POLYETHER BEING CYLIC TETRAMERS AND ABOVE OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, PROPYLENE OXIDE, BUTYLENE OXIDE OR EPICHLOROHYDRIN, AND D. A NON-AMINE-CONTAINING CATALYST FOR URETHANE FORMATION, WHICH IS AN ORGANO METAL COMPOUND; WHEREIN COMPONENTS (A) AND (B) ARE PRESENT IN AMOUNTS SO AS TO PROVIDE AN NCO:OH RATIO OF FROM ABOUT 0.8:1 TO ABOUT 2:1, COMPONENT (C) IS PRESENT IN QUANTITIES OF FROM ABOUT 20 TO ABOUT 50 PERCENT WITH THE PROVISO THAT WHEN COMPONENT (B) IS AN NCO-CONTAINING PREPOLYMER CONTAINING LESS THAN ABOUT 40% NCO BY WEIGHT, COMPONENT (C) IS PRESENT IN QUANTITIES OF FROM ABOUT 10% TO ABOUT 50% BY WEIGHT OF THE SUM OF COMPONENTS (A),(B), AND (C); AND COMPONENT (D) IS PRESENT IN QUANTITIES OF FROM ABOUT 0.2 TO ABOOUT 10 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF THE SUM OF THE WEIGHTS OF COMPONENTS (A), (B) AND (C); AND WHEREIN SAID POLYMER CAN BE DEMOLDED WITHIN LESS THAN ABOUT 5 MINUTES, WITHOUT THE APPLICATION OF AN EXTERNAL SOURCE OF HEAT, AFTER ADMIXTURE OF SAID COMPOSITION;

Claim 5

PLACING THE ADMIXED COMPOSITION INTO A SUITABLE MOLD WHEREIN SAID COMPOSITION SOLIDIFIES WITHIN LESS THAN ABOUT 5 MINUTES TO A SOLID HAVING THE AFORESAID DENSITY AND ELONGATION; AND

Claim 6

PLACING THE ADMIXED COMPOSITION INTO A SUITABLE MOLD WHEREIN SAID COMPOSITION SOLIDIFIES WITHIN LESS THAN ABOUT 5 MINUTES TO A SOLID HAVING THE AFORESAID DENSITY AND ELONGATION; AND

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 wherein Components (A) and (B) are present in quantities such that the NCO:OH ratio of the (A) and (B) components is from about 0.95:1 to about 1.1:1, Component (C) is present in quantities of from about 30 to about 50 percent by weight of the sum of Components (A), (B), (C) and wherein Component (D) is present in quantities of from about 0.5 to about 3 percent by weight of the sum of the weights of Components (A), (B) and (C).

Claim 8

placing the admixed composition into a suitable mold wherein said composition solidifies within less than about 5 minutes to a solid having the aforesaid density and elongation; and

Claim 9

placing the admixed composition into a suitable mold wherein said composition solidifies within less than about 5 minutes to a solid having the aforesaid density and elongation; and

Claim 10

subsequently demolding the resultant article from the mold.

Claim 11

subsequently demolding the resultant article from the mold.

Claim 12

The process of claim 2 wherein Component (D) is an organo-metal compound of a metal selected from tin, zinc, lead, mercury, cadmium, bismuth and antimony.

Claim 13

SUBSEQUENTLY DEMOLDNG THE RESULTANT ARTICLE FROM THE MOLD.

Claim 14

SUBSEQUENTLY DEMOLDNG THE RESULTANT ARTICLE FROM THE MOLD.

Claim 15

The process of claim 3 wherein Component (C) is selected from the group consisting of cyclic polyethers of 1,2-propylene oxide and of ethylene oxide and mixtures thereof.

Claim 16

The process of claim 4 wherein Component (C) is selected from the group consisting of cyclic tetramers of ethylene oxide, cyclic tetramers of 1,2-propylene oxide, cyclic pentamers of 1,2-propylene oxide and mixtures thereof.

Claim 17

The process of claim 5 wherein Component (D) is an organo-tin compound or an organo-lead compound.

Claim 18

The process of claim 1 wherein said mold is that of a furniture component.

Claim 19

The process of claim 1 wherein said mold is that of a decorative object.

Claim 20

The process of claim 1 wherein said mold is that of a machine component.