Polyurethane elastomers exhibiting improved demold green strength and water absorption and haze-free polyols suitable for their preparation

Claim 2

A polyurethane elastomer exhibiting less than 10 weight percent water absorption at 23° C., said elastomer being the reaction product of: a) a di- or polyisocyanate at an index of from 70 to about 130; b) a polyoxypropylene polyol component having an average equivalent weight of from 1000 Da to about 8000 Da, an average unsaturation of less than about 0.010 meq/g and comprising in major part at least one polyoxypropylene polyol containing from 1 to about 20 weight percent internal random oxyethylene moieties and a nominal functionality of two or three and wherein said at least one polyoxypropylene polyol contains not more than about 20 weight percent total oxyethylene moieties; and c) an aliphatic glycol or oligomeric polyoxyalkylene diol chain extender having a molecular weight of less than about 300 Da.

Claim 3

The elastomer of claim 1 wherein said polyoxypropylene polyol component comprises a single polyoxypropylene diol having an unsaturation of less than about 0.007 meq/g and an internal random oxyethylene Content of between about 1 weight percent and about 15 weight percent.

Claim 4

The elastomer of claim 1 wherein said polyoxypropylene polyol component comprises a multi-disperse polyol component having a polydispersity of at least 1.4 and containing at least two individual substantially monodisperse polyoxypropylene polyols having an unsaturation of less than 0.010 meq/g, at least one of said at least two individual polyoxypropylene polyols containing from 1 weight percent to about 20 weight percent random internal oxyethylene moieties.

Claim 5

The elastomer of claim 1 wherein said polyoxypropylene polyol comprises a polyoxypropylene diol or triol having an equivalent weight of from 1000 Da to about 8000 Da, an unsaturation of about 0.007 meq/g or less, and an internal oxyethylene content of 5 to about 12 weight percent based on the weight of the polyoxypropylene diol or triol.

Claim 6

A polyurethane elastomer exhibiting less than 10 weight percent water, absorption when measured following immersion in water at 0° C., said elastomer comprising the reaction product of: a) an isocyanate terminated prepolymer containing from 3 weight percent to about 25 weight percent NCO having been prepared by the reaction of a di- or polyisocyanate containing in major part 4,4'-methylenediphenylene diisocyanate with a polyoxypropylene polyol component comprising in major part: a) i) at least one polyoxypropylene diol or triol having an unsaturation of less than about 0.010 meq/g, a random internal oxyethylene content of from 1 weight percent to about 12 weight percent, and having not more than 20 weight percent total oxyethylene moieties; a) ii) optionally, one or more polyoxypropylene diols or triols having an unsaturation less than about 0.010 meq/g and an internal random oxyethylene content of less than 1 weight percent; wherein the average equivalent weight of a) i) and a) ii) together is from about 1000 Da to about 8000 Da; with b) an aliphatic diol chain extender selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol at an isocyanate index of from 70 to about 130.

Claim 7

A polyurethane elastomer exhibiting less than 10 weight percent water, absorption when measured following immersion in water at 0° C., said elastomer comprising the reaction product of: a) an isocyanate terminated prepolymer containing from 3 weight percent to about 25 weight percent NCO having been prepared by the reaction of a di- or polyisocyanate containing in major part 4,4'-methylenediphenylene diisocyanate with a polyoxypropylene polyol component comprising in major part: a) i) at least one polyoxypropylene diol or triol having an unsaturation of less than about 0.010 meq/g, a random internal oxyethylene content of from 1 weight percent to about 12 weight percent, and having not more than 20 weight percent total oxyethylene moieties; a) ii) optionally, one or more polyoxypropylene diols or triols having an unsaturation less than about 0.010 meq/g and an internal random oxyethylene content of less than 1 weight percent; wherein the average equivalent weight of a) i) and a) ii) together is from about 1000 Da to about 8000 Da; with b) an aliphatic diol chain extender selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol at an isocyanate index of from 70 to about 130.

Claim 8

The elastomer of claim 5 wherein said polyol component a) i) and a) ii) together has a polydispersity of 1.4 or greater.

Claim 9

The elastomer of claim 6 wherein each of said polyoxypropylene polyols a) i) and a) ii) are substantially monodisperse, with individual polydispersities of less than about 1.20.

Claim 10

The elastomer of claim 5 further comprising the reaction product of water as a reactive blowing agent in an amount of from 0.1 weight percent to about 1 weight percent based on the weight of the total reactive composition such that the resulting elastomer is a microcellular elastomer having a density less than 0.8 g/cm 3 .

Claim 11

The microcellular elastomer of claim 8 wherein the density of said microcellular elastomer is from about 0.2 g/cm 3 to about 0.4 g/cm 3 .

Claim 12

The microcellular elastomer of claim 9 wherein the polyurethane polymer comprising said microcellular elastomer exhibits a water absorption of less than 5 weight percent at 0° C.

Claim 13

An isocyanate terminated prepolymer free of precipitates prepared by reacting an excess of a di- or polyisocyanate component comprising 4,4'-methylenediphenylene diisocyanate in major part, with a polyoxypropylene polyol containing from 1 to about 20 weight percent internal oxyethylene moieties, not more than about 20 weight percent total oxyethylene moieties, and having an unsaturation less than about 0.015 meq/g.

Claim 14

An isocyanate terminated prepolymer free of precipitates prepared by reacting an excess of a di- or polyisocyanate component comprising 4,4'-methylenediphenylene diisocyanate in major part, with a polyoxypropylene polyol containing from 1 to about 20 weight percent internal oxyethylene moieties, not more than about 20 weight percent total oxyethylene moieties, and having an unsaturation less than about 0.015 meq/g.

Claim 15

An isocyanate terminated prepolymer free of precipitates prepared by reacting an excess of a di- or polyisocyanate component comprising 4,4'-methylenediphenylene diisocyanate in major part, with a haze-free polyoxyethylene capped polyol having an unsaturation of less than about 0.015 meq/g polyol and comprising a) a di- to octafunctional polyoxypropylene backbone polyol containing from 1 to about 20 weight percent random internal oxyethylene moieties; b) from about 5 weight percent to about 25 weight percent polyoxyethylene moieties present as a cap onto said backbone polyol; wherein said backbone polyol is prepared by polymerizing a mixture of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide onto a di- to octafunctional initiator molecule in the presence of a double metal cyanide catalyst; wherein said haze-free polyoxyethylene capped polyol has an equivalent weight from about 500 Da to about 15,000 Da; wherein the amount of random internal oxyethylene moieties is such as to prevent the formation of haze in said polyoxyethylene capped polyols for a period of at least 20 days when stored at 23° C.; and wherein all weight percents are relative to the weight of the haze-free polyoxyethylene capped polyol.

Claim 16

An isocyanate terminated prepolymer free of precipitates prepared by reacting an excess of a di- or polyisocyanate component comprising 4,4'-methylenediphenylene diisocyanate in major part, with a haze-free polyoxyethylene capped polyol having an unsaturation of less than about 0.015 meq/g polyol and comprising a) a di- to octafunctional polyoxypropylene backbone polyol containing from 1 to about 20 weight percent random internal oxyethylene moieties; b) from about 5 weight percent to about 25 weight percent polyoxyethylene moieties present as a cap onto said backbone polyol; wherein said backbone polyol is prepared by polymerizing a mixture of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide onto a di- to octafunctional initiator molecule in the presence of a double metal cyanide catalyst; wherein said haze-free polyoxyethylene capped polyol has an equivalent weight from about 500 Da to about 15,000 Da; wherein the amount of random internal oxyethylene moieties is such as to prevent the formation of haze in said polyoxyethylene capped polyols for a period of at least 20 days when stored at 23° C.; and wherein all weight percents are relative to the weight of the haze-free polyoxyethylene capped polyol.

Claim 17

An isocyanate terminated prepolymer free of haze prepared by reacting an excess of a di- or polyisocyanate component comprising 4,4'-methylenediphenylene diisocyanate in major part, with the haze-free polyoxyethylene capped polyol of claim 12 wherein the unsaturation of said haze-free polyoxyethylene capped polyol is less than about 0.010 meq/g polyol.

Claim 18

An isocyanate terminated prepolymer free of haze prepared by reacting an excess of a di- or polyisocyanate component comprising 4,4'-methylenediphenylene diisocyanate in major part, with a multidisperse polyol blend having an average unsaturation of less than about 0.010 meq/g and a polydispersity of greater than 1.4, comprising: two or more individual polyoxypropylene polyols, each of said individual polyoxypropylene polyols being a substantially monodisperse polyol having an unsaturation of less than 0.015 meq/g and an average molecular weight of from about 1000 Da to about 20,000 Da, at least one of said two or more individual polyoxypropylene polyols comprising a polyoxypropylene polyol containing from about 1 weight percent to about 20 weight percent random, internal oxyethylene moieties.

Claim 19

An isocyanate terminated prepolymer free of haze prepared by reacting an excess of a di- or polyisocyanate component comprising 4,4'-methylenediphenylene diisocyanate in major part, with a multidisperse polyol blend having an average unsaturation of less than about 0.010 meq/g and a polydispersity of greater than 1.4, comprising: two or more individual polyoxypropylene polyols, each of said individual polyoxypropylene polyols being a substantially monodisperse polyol having an unsaturation of less than 0.015 meq/g and an average molecular weight of from about 1000 Da to about 20,000 Da, at least one of said two or more individual polyoxypropylene polyols comprising a polyoxypropylene polyol containing from about 1 weight percent to about 20 weight percent random, internal oxyethylene moieties.

Claim 20

A polyurethane elastomer exhibiting less than 5 weight percent water absorption at 0° C., comprising the reaction product of: a) an isocyanate terminated prepolymer having an NCO content of from 3 to about 25 weight percent and prepared by reaction of a diisocyanate component comprising 4,4'-methylenediphenylene diisocyanate in major part with a polyoxypropropylene polyol component comprising in major part one or more polyoxypropylene diols having a molecular weight of from 500 Da to 20,000 Da, an unsaturation of 0.007 meq/g or less, an internal random oxyethylene content of from about 3 to about 12 weight percent and not more than about 20 weight percent total oxyethylene groups; with b) 1,4-butanediol at an index of from 70 to 130; in the presence of c) an effective amount of a urethane promoting catalyst.

Claim 21

A polyurethane elastomer exhibiting less than 5 weight percent water absorption at 0° C., comprising the reaction product of: a) an isocyanate terminated prepolymer having an NCO content of from 3 to about 25 weight percent and prepared by reaction of a diisocyanate component comprising 4,4'-methylenediphenylene diisocyanate in major part with a polyoxypropropylene polyol component comprising in major part one or more polyoxypropylene diols having a molecular weight of from 500 Da to 20,000 Da, an unsaturation of 0.007 meq/g or less, an internal random oxyethylene content of from about 3 to about 12 weight percent and not more than about 20 weight percent total oxyethylene groups; with b) 1,4-butanediol at an index of from 70 to 130; in the presence of c) an effective amount of a urethane promoting catalyst.

Claim 22

The elastomer of claim 15, wherein said reaction product is further the reaction product of 0.1 to about 1.0 weight percent water relative to the amounts of a) and b).