Aromatic polyester polyether polyurethane panels and useful materials comprising same

Abstract

This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. The disclosure provides aromatic polyester polyether polyols and compositions comprising such polyols. The disclosed aromatic polyester polyether polyols and compositions including same are the products of the transesterification reaction of polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”) and an ethoxylated triol, namely glycerin or trimethylolpropane, wherein the degree of ethoxylation is from 1 to 9 moles. At least some of the PET used to generate the aromatic polyester polyether polyols is derived from recycled PET. The disclosed aromatic polyester polyether polyols have utility in preparing polyurethane materials, for example.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of making an aromatic polyester polyether polyurethane composition comprising:
 providing a polyol component comprising:   a) an aromatic polyester polyether polyol having a structure that is either:
 i) based on a glycerol backbone, the structure represented by a formula: 
   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  is independently selected from hydroxyl and a structure represented by a formula: 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         provided that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  is not hydroxyl; 
         wherein m has a value such that the aromatic polyester polyether polyol has a Brookfield Cone and Plate Viscosity of less than about 5 Poise carried out using Spindle #4 at 100 rpm and 60° C.; 
         and wherein each of n 1 , n 2 , and n 3  is an integer independently selected from 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, provided that a sum of the values for n 1 , n 2 , and n 3  is 1 to 9; 
         or
 ii) based on a trimethylolpropane backbone, the structure represented by a formula: 
 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  is independently selected from hydroxyl and a structure represented by a formula: 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         provided that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  is not hydroxyl; 
         wherein m has a value such that the aromatic polyester polyether polyol has a Brookfield Cone and Plate Viscosity of less than about 5 Poise carried out using Spindle #4 at 100 rpm and 60° C.; 
         and wherein each of n 1 , n 2 , and n 3  is an integer independently selected from 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, provided that a sum of the values for n 1 , n 2 , and n 3  is 1 to 9; and 
         b) an isocyanate component; 
         mixing the polyol component and the isocyanate component to create a mixture; and 
         curing the mixture under reaction conditions to generate an aromatic polyester polyether polyurethane composition.