Resin composition for use in forming a polyurethane article with increased comfort

Abstract

A unique combination of a hydrophilic polyol (A) and a hydrophobic polyol (B) having a terminal ethylene oxide cap are used in a resin composition and a polyurethane system, and are used to form a polyurethane article, such as a polyurethane foam. The hydrophilic polyol (A) is ethylene oxide (EO) rich and the hydrophobic polyol (B) is propylene oxide (PO) rich. The hydrophilic polyol (A) and the hydrophobic polyol (B) are present in the resin composition and the polyurethane system in a weight ratio (A:B) of from 1.5:1 to 20:1. The polyurethane article exhibits excellent comfort for use in vehicle applications, such as automotive and motorcycle seating, due to reduced resonance frequency and reduced peak vibration transmissivity relative to previous polyurethane articles.

1 . A resin composition for use in forming a polyurethane article, said resin composition comprising:
 (A) a hydrophilic polyol containing alkylene oxides and having;
 (i) a nominal functionality of at least 2, 
 (ii) a hydroxyl number of from 20 to 200 mg KOH/g, and 
 (iii) at least 50 parts by weight ethylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said alkylene oxides; and 
   (B) a hydrophobic polyol containing alkylene oxides and having;
 (i) a terminal ethylene oxide cap, 
 (ii) a nominal functionality of at least 2, 
 (iii) a hydroxyl number of from 20 to 100 mg KOH/g, and 
 (iv) at least 60 parts by weight propylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said alkylene oxides; 
   
     wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) and said hydrophobic polyol (B) are present in a weight ratio (A:B) of from 1.5:1 to 20:1. 
   
   
       2 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) and said hydrophobic polyol (B) are present in a weight ratio (A:B) of from 1.5:1 to 10:1. 
   
   
       3 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) and said hydrophobic polyol (B) are present in a weight ratio (A:B) of from 1.5:1 to 6:1. 
   
   
       4 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) has at least 70 parts by weight ethylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said alkylene oxides. 
   
   
       5 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 4  wherein said hydrophobic polyol (B) has at least 80 parts by weight propylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said alkylene oxides. 
   
   
       6 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 5  wherein said hydrophobic polyol (B) has from 5 to 25 parts by weight ethylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said hydrophobic polyol (B). 
   
   
       7 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising a filler component in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 30 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of said resin composition. 
   
   
       8 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 7  wherein said filler component comprises the reaction product of a monomer selected from the group of styrenes, acrylonitriles, esters of acrylic and methacrylic acids, ethylenically unsaturated nitrites, amines, amides, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       9 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said alkylene oxides of said hydrophilic polyol (A) comprises a mixture of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. 
   
   
       10 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) has a number-average molecular weight of from 3150 to 4150 and said hydrophobic polyol (B) has a number-average molecular weight of from 4300 to 5300. 
   
   
       11 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) and said hydrophobic polyol (B) are present in said resin composition in a combined amount of from about 70 to about 97 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of said resin composition. 
   
   
       12 . A polyurethane system for use in forming a polyurethane article, said polyurethane system comprising:
 (A) a hydrophilic polyol containing alkylene oxides and having;
 (i) a nominal functionality of at least 2, 
 (ii) a hydroxyl number of from 20 to 200 mg KOH/g, and 
 (iii) at least 50 parts by weight ethylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said alkylene oxides; and 
   (B) a hydrophobic polyol containing alkylene oxides and having;
 (i) a terminal ethylene oxide cap, 
 (ii) a nominal functionality of at least 2, 
 (iii) a hydroxyl number of from 20 to 100 mg KOH/g, and 
 (iv) at least 60 parts by weight propylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said alkylene oxides; and 
   (C) an isocyanate component;   
     wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) and said hydrophobic polyol (B) are present in a weight ratio (A:B) of from 1.5:1 to 20:1. 
   
   
       13 . A polyurethane system as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) and said hydrophobic polyol (B) are present in a weight ratio (A:B) of from 1.5:1 to 10:1. 
   
   
       14 . A polyurethane system as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) and said hydrophobic polyol (B) are present in a weight ratio (A:B) of from 1.5:1 to 6:1. 
   
   
       15 . A polyurethane system as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) has at least 70 parts by weight ethylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said alkylene oxides. 
   
   
       16 . A polyurethane system as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said hydrophobic polyol (B) has at least 80 parts by weight propylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said alkylene oxides. 
   
   
       17 . A polyurethane system as set forth in  claim 16  wherein said hydrophobic polyol (B) has from 5 to 25 parts by weight ethylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said hydrophobic polyol (B). 
   
   
       18 . A polyurethane system as set forth in  claim 12  further comprising a filler component in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 30 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of said hydrophilic polyol (A) and said hydrophobic polyol (B) combined. 
   
   
       19 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 18  wherein said filler component comprises the reaction product of a monomer selected from the group of styrenes, acrylonitriles, esters of acrylic and methacrylic acids, ethylenically unsaturated nitrites, amines, amides, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       20 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said alkylene oxides of said hydrophilic polyol (A) comprises a mixture of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. 
   
   
       21 . A polyurethane system as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) has a number-average molecular weight of from 3150 to 4150 and said hydrophobic polyol (B) has a number-average molecular weight of from 4300 to 5300. 
   
   
       22 . A polyurethane system as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said isocyanate component (C) is selected from the group of polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanates, diphenylmethane diisocyanates, toluene diisocyanates, hexamethylene diisocyanates, isophorone diisocyanates, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       23 . A polyurethane article comprising the reaction product of:
 (A) a hydrophilic polyol containing alkylene oxides and having;
 (i) a nominal functionality of at least 2, 
 (ii) a hydroxyl number of from 20 to 200 mg KOH/g, and 
 (iii) at least 50 parts by weight ethylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said alkylene oxides; 
   (B) a hydrophobic polyol containing alkylene oxides and having;
 (i) a terminal ethylene oxide cap, 
 (ii) a nominal functionality of at least 2, 
 (iii) a hydroxyl number of from 20 to 100 mg KOH/g, and 
 (iv) at least 60 parts by weight propylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said alkylene oxides; and 
   (C) an isocyanate component; in the presence of   (D) a blowing agent component;   
     wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) and said hydrophobic polyol (B) are present in a weight ratio (A:B) of from 1.5:1 to 20:1 prior to reaction to make said polyurethane article. 
   
   
       24 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 23  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) and said hydrophobic polyol (B) are present in a weight ratio (A:B) of from 1.5:1 to 10:1 prior to reaction to make said polyurethane article. 
   
   
       25 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 24  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) and said hydrophobic polyol (B) are present in a weight ratio (A:B) of from 1.5:1 to 6:1 prior to reaction to make said polyurethane article. 
   
   
       26 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 23  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) has at least 70 parts by weight ethylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said alkylene oxides. 
   
   
       27 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 26  wherein said hydrophobic polyol (B) has at least 80 parts by weight propylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said alkylene oxides. 
   
   
       28 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 27  wherein said hydrophobic polyol (B) has from 5 to 25 parts by weight ethylene oxide based on 100 parts by weight of said hydrophobic polyol (B). 
   
   
       29 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 23  further comprising a filler component in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 30 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of said hydrophilic polyol (A) and said hydrophobic polyol (B) combined prior to reaction to make said polyurethane article. 
   
   
       30 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 29  wherein said filler component comprises the reaction product of a monomer selected from the group of styrenes, acrylonitriles, esters of acrylic and methacrylic acids, ethylenically unsaturated nitrites, amines, amides, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       31 . A resin composition as set forth in  claim 23  wherein said alkylene oxides of said hydrophilic polyol (A) comprises a mixture of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. 
   
   
       32 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 23  wherein said hydrophilic polyol (A) has a number-average molecular weight of from 3150 to 4150 and said hydrophobic polyol (B) has a number-average molecular weight of from 4300 to 5300. 
   
   
       33 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 23  wherein said isocyanate component is selected from the group of polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanates, diphenylmethane diisocyanates, toluene diisocyanates, hexamethylene diisocyanates, isophorone diisocyanates, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       34 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 33  wherein said isocyanate component, said hydrophilic polyol (A), and said hydrophobic polyol (B) are reacted in an amount to have an isocyanate index of from about 90 to about 120. 
   
   
       35 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 23  having a peak vibration transmissivity less than 3. 
   
   
       36 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 35  having a density of less than  10  pounds per cubic foot according to ASTM D 3574. 
   
   
       37 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 23  in combination with an outer layer in contact with said polyurethane article. 
   
   
       38 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 37  wherein said outer layer is further defined as an elastomeric layer. 
   
   
       39 . A polyurethane article as set forth in  claim 38  wherein said elastomeric layer comprises the reaction product of a sprayable elastomer composition.