Oxylated vegetable-based polyol having increased functionality and urethane material formed using the polyol

Abstract

The present invention includes a method of producing a polyol having increased functionality by reacting a vegetable oil with an alkene oxide and the polyol produced according to the method.

The invention claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of producing a polyol having increased functionality comprising: 
 reacting a vegetable oil with an alkene oxide wherein the alkene oxide comprises about 5% by weight to about 10% by weight of the total weight of the vegetable oil and the alkene oxide.    
     
     
         2 . The method of producing a polyol having increased functionality of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable oil comprises crude vegetable oil.  
     
     
         3 . The method of producing a polyol having increased functionality of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable oil comprises blown vegetable oil.  
     
     
         4 . The method of producing a polyol having increased functionality of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable oil comprises a vegetable oil chosen from palm oil, safflower oil, canola oil, soy oil, cottonseed oil, and rapeseed oil.  
     
     
         5 . The method of producing a polyol having increased functionality of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable oil comprises a blown vegetable oil chosen from blown palm oil, blown safflower oil, blown canola oil, blown soy oil, blown cottonseed oil, and blown rapeseed oil.  
     
     
         6 . The method of producing a polyol having increased functionality of  claim 1 , wherein the alkene oxide comprises propylene oxide.  
     
     
         7 . The method of producing a polyol having increased functionality of  claim 1 , wherein the alkene oxide comprises ethylene oxide.  
     
     
         8 . The method of producing a polyol having increased functionality of  claim 1 , wherein the alkene comprises butylene oxide.  
     
     
         9 . The method of producing a polyol having increased functionality of  claim 1 , wherein the alkene oxide comprises an alkene oxide chosen from propylene oxide, ethylene oxide, and butylene oxide.  
     
     
         10 . The polyol produced by reacting a vegetable oil with an alkene oxide.  
     
     
         11 . The polyol of  claim 10 , wherein the vegetable oil is soy oil.  
     
     
         12 . The polyol of  claim 10 , wherein the alkene oxide comprises an alkene oxide chosen from propylene oxide, ethylene oxide, and butylene oxide.  
     
     
         13 . The material comprising the reaction product of an isocyanate, an oxylation compound, a modified vegetable oil and a catalyst wherein the modified vegetable oil comprises the reaction product of a first polyol and a vegetable oil and the first polyol comprises the reaction product of a multifunctional alcohol and a second multifunctional compound.  
     
     
         14 . The material of  claim 13 , wherein about 5% by weight to about 10% by weight of oxylation compound is used.  
     
     
         15 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the first polyol is reacted with the oxylation compound prior to reacting the first polyol with the vegetable oil.  
     
     
         16 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the oxylation compound is reacted with the multifunctional alcohol prior to reacting the multifunctional alcohol and the second multifunctional component.  
     
     
         17 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the oxylation compound is reacted with the second multifunctional compound prior to reacting the second multifunctional compound with the multifunctional alcohol.  
     
     
         18 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the vegetable oil is reacted with the oxylation compound prior to reacting the first polyol with the vegetable oil.  
     
     
         19 . The material of  claim 15 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises the oxylation compound chosen from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, tetrahydrofuran (TMF), tetrahydrofurfuryl, tetrahydrofurfural, and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol.  
     
     
         20 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the isocyanate is a diisocyanate compound.  
     
     
         21 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the isocyanate comprises an isocyanate chosen from 2,4 diisocyanate, 4,4′ diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 2,4 diphenylmethane diisocyanate, and toluene diisocyanate.  
     
     
         22 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the isocyanate comprises a prepolymer comprising the reaction product of a vegetable oil polyol and an isocyanate.  
     
     
         23 . The material of  claim 14 , wherein the isocyanate comprises an isocyanate and a blowing agent.  
     
     
         24 . A method of producing a polyol having increased functionality comprising: 
 providing a multifunctional alcohol, a vegetable oil, a second multifunctional compound having at least two hydroxyl (OH) groups, and a first oxylation compound;    reacting the multifunctional alcohol with the second multifunctional compound to form a first esterified polyol;    reacting the first esterified polyol with the crude vegetable oil to form a second esterified polyol;    blowing the second esterified polyol; and    reacting the second esterified polyol with the first oxylation compound.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein about 5% by weight to about 10% by weight of the first oxylation compound is used.  
     
     
         26 . The method of producing a polyol having increased functionality of  claim 24 , wherein the second esterified polyol is reacted with an oxylation compound after the second esterified polyol is blown.  
     
     
         27 . The method of producing a polyol having increased functionality of  claim 24 , wherein the first esterified polyol is reacted with a second oxylation compound.  
     
     
         28 . A method of producing a polyol having increased functionality comprising: 
 providing a multifunctional alcohol, a vegetable oil, a second multifunctional compound having at least two hydroxyl (OH) groups and an oxylation compound and;    reacting the multifunctional alcohol with the second multifunctional compound to form an esterified polyol;    reacting the esterified polyol with the vegetable oil to form a second esterified polyol; and    reacting the second esterified polyol with the oxylation compound.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the second multifunctional compound comprises a saccharide compound.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the saccharide compound comprises a saccharide compound chosen from monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, sugar alcohols, and honey.  
     
     
         31 . The method  claim 28 , wherein the vegetable oil comprises blown vegetable oil.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein less than about 70% by weight of oxylation compound is used.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein about 5% by weight to about 10% by weight of oxylation compound is used.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the vegetable oil comprises a vegetable oil chosen from palm oil, safflower oil, canola oil, soy oil, cottonseed oil, and rapeseed oil.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the vegetable oil comprises a blown vegetable oil chosen from blown palm oil, blown safflower oil, blown canola oil, blown soy oil, blown cottonseed oil, and blown rapeseed oil.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the saccharide compound comprises a saccharide compound chosen from the group of glucose, sorbitol, and cane sugar.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises an oxylation compound chosen from propylene oxide, ethylene oxide, butylene oxide, tetrahydrofuran (TMF), tetrahydrofurfuryl, tetrahydrofurfural, furfural derivatives, and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises propylene oxide.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises ethylene oxide.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises butylene oxide.  
     
     
         41 . A method of producing a polyol having increased functionality comprising: 
 reacting a vegetable oil based polyol with an oxylation compound wherein the oxylation compound comprises less than about 70% by weight of the total weight of the vegetable oil and the oxylation compound.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises a bio-based oxylation compound.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises an oxylation compound chosen from the group comprising tetrahydrofuran (TMF), tetrahydrofurfuryl, tetrahydrofurfural, furfural derivatives, and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the alkene oxide comprises an alkene oxide chosen from propylene oxide, ethylene oxide, and butylene oxide.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the vegetable oil based polyol comprises a vegetable oil based polyol chosen from the group comprising crude vegetable oil, blown vegetable oil, and transesterified vegetable oil.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the vegetable oil based polyol comprises a vegetable oil based polyol chosen from the group comprising a palm oil based polyol, a safflower based polyol, a canola oil based polyol, a soy oil based polyol, a cottonseed based polyol, and a rapeseed oil based polyol.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises less than 70% by weight of the resultant mixtures of vegetable oil based polyol and the oxylation compound.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises about 5% by weight to about 10% by weight of the resultant mixture of the vegetable oil based polyol and the oxylation compound.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48  further comprising adding heat to the reaction.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 47  further comprising adding heat to the reaction.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises an alkene oxide.  
     
     
         52 . A polyol comprising the reaction product of a vegetable oil based polyol and an oxylation compound wherein the oxylation compound comprises less than about 70% by weight of the total weight of the vegetable oil and the oxylation compound.  
     
     
         53 . The polyol of  claim 52 , wherein the oxylation compound is a bio-based compound.  
     
     
         54 . The polyol of  claim 53 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises an oxylation compound chosen from the group comprising tetrahydrofuran (TMF), tetrahydrofurfuryl, tetrahydrofurfural, and tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol.  
     
     
         55 . The polyol of  claim 52 , wherein the alkene oxide comprises an alkene oxide chosen from propylene oxide, ethylene oxide, and butylene oxide.  
     
     
         56 . The polyol of  claim 52 , wherein the vegetable oil based polyol comprises a vegetable oil based polyol chosen from the group comprising crude vegetable oil, blown vegetable oil, and transesterified vegetable oil.  
     
     
         57 . The polyol of  claim 56 , wherein the vegetable oil based polyol comprises a vegetable oil based polyol chosen from the group comprising a palm oil based polyol, a safflower based polyol, a canola oil based polyol, a soy oil based polyol, a cottonseed based polyol, and a rapeseed oil based polyol.  
     
     
         58 . The polyol of  claim 52 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises about 5% by weight to about 10% by weight of the resultant mixture of the vegetable oil based polyol and the oxylation compound.  
     
     
         59 . The polyol of  claim 58  wherein heat is added to the reaction of the vegetable oil and the oxylation compound reaction.  
     
     
         60 . The polyol of  claim 52 , wherein the oxylation compound comprises an alkene oxide.  
     
     
         61 . A polyol having increased functionality comprising the reaction product of an oxylated component comprising the reaction product of an oxylation compound and an active hydrogen containing compound and a vegetable oil based polyol wherein the active hydrogen containing compound comprises at least two active hydrogens.  
     
     
         62 . The polyol of  claim 61 , wherein the vegetable oil comprises a vegetable oil chosen from a transesterified vegetable oil, a blown vegetable oil, and a crude vegetable oil.  
     
     
         63 . The polyol of  claim 61 , wherein the polyol formed by the reaction of the oxylated component and the vegetable oil based polyol is further reacted with a second oxylation compound.  
     
     
         64 . A method of producing a polyol having increased functionality comprising: 
 reacting an oxylation compound and an active hydrogen containing compound to form an oxylated component; and    reacting the oxylated component with a vegetable oil based polyol.    
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 64  further comprising reacting the polyol formed by the reaction of the oxylated component and the vegetable oil with a second oxylation compound.  
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the vegetable oil comprises a vegetable oil chosen from a transesterified vegetable oil, a blown vegetable oil, and a crude vegetable oil.  
     
     
         67 . A method of producing a polyol having increased functionality comprising: 
 reacting a first oxylation compound with a first active hydrogen containing compound comprising at least two active hydrogens to form an oxylated component;    reacting the oxylated component with a multifunctional compound comprising at least two active hydrogens to form a precusor polyol; and    reacting the precusor polyol with a vegetable oil based polyol.    
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67  further comprising reacting the reaction product of the precusor polyol and the vegetable oil based polyol with a second oxylation compound.  
     
     
         69 . A polyol having increased functionality comprising the reaction product of a precusor polyol and a vegetable oil based polyol wherein the precusor polyol comprises the reaction product of a multifunctional compound comprising at least two active hydrogens and an oxylated component wherein the oxylated component comprises the reaction product of an oxylation compound and a second active hydrogen containing compound comprising at least two active hydrogens.