Catalyst blends for producing low thermal desorption polyurethane foams

Abstract

A catalyst composition for catalyzing a polyurethane forming reaction includes a gelling catalyst and a blowing catalyst selected such that the resulting polyurethane foam has a low level of volatile and/or malodorous material in it. The gelling catalysts are selected from tertiary aminoalkyl substituted primary or secondary amines; and the blowing catalysts are selected from bis(aminoalkyl) ethers comprising alkanol moieties, primary amine moieties, or ureido moieties derived from such primary amine moieties.

1 . A catalyst composition comprising: 
 1) a gelling catalyst represented by the general formula:                          in which:    A represents CH or N,    R 1  represents hydrogen or the group                          n represents an integer between 1 and 3, inclusive,    R 2  and R 3  each represent hydrogen or a C1-C6 alkyl group, and    R 6  represents H or 3-aminopropyl, provided that: 
 when A is N, R 4  and R 5  each represents a C1-C6 alkyl group or together represent a C2-C5 alkylene group which may contain a ring amine moiety —NR—, where R is hydrogen, a C1-C4 alkyl group, or the group  
                     
 when A is CH, R 4  and R 5  together represent a C2-C5 alkylene group containing a ring amine moiety —NR—, where R is a C1-C4 alkyl group or the group  
                     
 and  
   2) a blowing catalyst according to the general formula:                          wherein:    R 7 , R 8 , and R 9  each independently represents a C1-C4 alkyl group;    R 10  represents H, a C1-C4 alkyl group, a C6-C20 aryl group, or a C6-C20 aralkyl group;    m, p, and q each independently represents an integer between 1 and 4, inclusive; and Z represents —OH, —NH 2 , —NH—CO—NH 2 , or                          
     
     
         2 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein R 4  and R 5  are each a methyl group, A is nitrogen, and R 2  and R 3  are each hydrogen.  
     
     
         3 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein R 7 , R 8 , and R 9  are each a methyl group, m and p are each equal to 2, and q is either 2 or 3.  
     
     
         4 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein A is CH, n is an integer between 1 and 3, inclusive, and R 4  and R 5  together constitute —CH 2 CH 2 N(CH 3 )CH 2 —.  
     
     
         5 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein the gelling catalyst comprises N, N, N″, N″-tetramethyldipropylenetriamine.  
     
     
         6 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein the gelling catalyst comprises 3-dimethylaminopropylamine.  
     
     
         7 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein the gelling catalyst comprises N, N-bis(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-1,3-propanediamine.  
     
     
         8 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein the blowing catalyst comprises N,N,N′-trimethyl-N′-2-hydroxyethylbis(aminoethyl) ether.  
     
     
         9 . The catalyst composition of  claim 8 , wherein the gelling catalyst comprises N,N,N″,N″-tetramethyldipropylenetriamine.  
     
     
         10 . The catalyst composition of  claim 8 , wherein the gelling catalyst comprises 3-dimethylaminopropylamine.  
     
     
         11 . The catalyst composition of  claim 8 , wherein the gelling catalyst comprises N,N-bis(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-1,3-propanediamine.  
     
     
         12 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein the blowing catalyst comprises N,N,N′-trimethyl-N′-3-aminopropylbis(aminoethyl) ether.  
     
     
         13 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein the blowing catalyst comprises N,N,N′-trimethyl-N′-3-ureidopropylbis(aminoethyl) ether.  
     
     
         14 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a carboxylic acid that forms a salt with one or both of the gelling catalyst and the blowing catalyst.