Flame-retardant benzylic-ether phenolic modified foam and method of preparing same

Claim 1

A method of preparing a nonfriable, closed-cell, benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde modified thermosetting foam product characterized by a low flame spread and smoke properties, which method comprises: (a) reacting, under substantially anhydrous conditions, 100 parts of a benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde resin, having a hydroxyl number of greater than about 200, with from about 50 to 150 parts by weight per 100 parts of the benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde resin in the presence of a weak acid catalyst at a pH of from about 4.0 to 6.5, to form a benzylic-ether phenol resin prepolymer; and (b) reacting the prepolymer, in the presence of a blowing amount of a blowing agent to form a foamable mass, and a catalytic amount of an organometallic catalyst, which is not affected by the pH of the prepolymer, with from about 50 to 200 parts by weight of a methylene diphenyl polyisocyanate in an exothermic reaction, to provide for the further heat and acid condensation of the phenolic resin prepolymer and the reaction of the isocyanate with the prepolymer, to produce a low-friability, substantially closed-cell, phenolic modified thermosetting foam product composed substantially of acid methylene linkages.

Claim 2

A method of preparing a nonfriable, closed-cell, benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde modified thermosetting foam product characterized by a low flame spread and smoke properties, which method comprises: (a) reacting, under substantially anhydrous conditions, 100 parts of a benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde resin, having a hydroxyl number of greater than about 200, with from about 50 to 150 parts by weight per 100 parts of the benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde resin in the presence of a weak acid catalyst at a pH of from about 4.0 to 6.5, to form a benzylic-ether phenol resin prepolymer; and (b) reacting the prepolymer, in the presence of a blowing amount of a blowing agent to form a foamable mass, and a catalytic amount of an organometallic catalyst, which is not affected by the pH of the prepolymer, with from about 50 to 200 parts by weight of a methylene diphenyl polyisocyanate in an exothermic reaction, to provide for the further heat and acid condensation of the phenolic resin prepolymer and the reaction of the isocyanate with the prepolymer, to produce a low-friability, substantially closed-cell, phenolic modified thermosetting foam product composed substantially of acid methylene linkages.

Claim 18

A method of preparing a nonfriable, closed-cell, benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde modified thermosetting foam product characterized by a low flame spread and smoke properties, which method comprises: (a) reacting, under substantially anhydrous conditions, 100 parts of a benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde resin, having a hydroxyl number of from about 400 to 600, with from about 50 to 150 parts by weight per 100 parts of the benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde resin in the presence of a boric acid catalyst at a temperature of less than about 100° F. and a pH of from about 4.0 to 6.5, to form a benzylic-ether phenol resin prepolymer; and (b) reacting, in the presence of a blowing amount of a blowing agent to form a foamable mass, and a catalytic amount of an organometallic catalyst, which is not affected by the pH of the prepolymer, the prepolymer with from about 50 to 200 parts by weight of a methylene diphenyl diisocyanate in an exothermic reaction, to provide the further condensation of the phenolic resin prepolymer and the reaction of the isocyanate with the prepolymer, to provide a low-friability, substantially closed-cell, phenolic modified thermosetting foam product composed substantially of acid methylene linkages.

Claim 19

A method of preparing a nonfriable, closed-cell, benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde modified thermosetting foam product characterized by a low flame spread and smoke properties, which method comprises: (a) reacting, under substantially anhydrous conditions, 100 parts of a benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde resin, having a hydroxyl number of from about 400 to 600, with from about 50 to 150 parts by weight per 100 parts of the benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde resin in the presence of a boric acid catalyst at a temperature of less than about 100° F. and a pH of from about 4.0 to 6.5, to form a benzylic-ether phenol resin prepolymer; and (b) reacting, in the presence of a blowing amount of a blowing agent to form a foamable mass, and a catalytic amount of an organometallic catalyst, which is not affected by the pH of the prepolymer, the prepolymer with from about 50 to 200 parts by weight of a methylene diphenyl diisocyanate in an exothermic reaction, to provide the further condensation of the phenolic resin prepolymer and the reaction of the isocyanate with the prepolymer, to provide a low-friability, substantially closed-cell, phenolic modified thermosetting foam product composed substantially of acid methylene linkages.

Claim 20

A method of preparing a nonfriable, closed-cell, benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde modified thermosetting foam product characterized by a low flame spread and smoke properties, which method comprises: (a) reacting, under substantially anhydrous conditions, 100 parts of a benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde resin, having a hydroxyl number of from about 400 to 600, with from about 50 to 150 parts by weight per 100 parts of the benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde resin in the presence of a boric acid catalyst at a temperature of less than about 100° F. and a pH of from about 4.0 to 6.5, and with a sufficient amount of melamine to react with substantially all of the free formaldehyde of the phenolic-formaldehyde resin and mixing the resin, melamine and weak acid catalyst for a period of about 6 to 24 hours, to form a benzylic-ether phenol resin prepolymer; and (b) reacting, in the presence of a blowing amount of a blowing agent to form a foamable mass, and a catalytic amount of an organometallic catalyst, which is not affected by the pH of the prepolymer, the prepolymer with from about 50 to 200 parts by weight of a methylene diphenyl diisocyanate in an exothermic reaction, to provide the further condensation of the phenolic resin prepolymer and the reaction of the isocyanate with the prepolymer, to produce a low-friability, substantially closed-cell, phenolic modified thermosetting foam product composed substantially of acid methylene linkages.

Claim 21

A method of preparing a nonfriable, closed-cell, benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde modified thermosetting foam product characterized by a low flame spread and smoke properties, which method comprises: (a) reacting, under substantially anhydrous conditions, 100 parts of a benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde resin, having a hydroxyl number of from about 400 to 600, with from about 50 to 150 parts by weight per 100 parts of the benzylic-ether phenol-formaldehyde resin in the presence of a boric acid catalyst at a temperature of less than about 100° F. and a pH of from about 4.0 to 6.5, and with a sufficient amount of melamine to react with substantially all of the free formaldehyde of the phenolic-formaldehyde resin and mixing the resin, melamine and weak acid catalyst for a period of about 6 to 24 hours, to form a benzylic-ether phenol resin prepolymer; and (b) reacting, in the presence of a blowing amount of a blowing agent to form a foamable mass, and a catalytic amount of an organometallic catalyst, which is not affected by the pH of the prepolymer, the prepolymer with from about 50 to 200 parts by weight of a methylene diphenyl diisocyanate in an exothermic reaction, to provide the further condensation of the phenolic resin prepolymer and the reaction of the isocyanate with the prepolymer, to produce a low-friability, substantially closed-cell, phenolic modified thermosetting foam product composed substantially of acid methylene linkages.