Process for producing flexible polyurethane foam and apparatus for producing flexible polyurethane foams

A process for producing various kinds of flexible polyurethane foams with different properties, comprising:

• bringing at least a polyol, a polyisocyanate and a blowing agent to contact with each other by employing a single production apparatus, wherein
• the polyisocyanate contains tolylene diisocyanate in an amount of 20% by weight or more, and
• the polyol consists essentially of two or three types of polyols, at least two of these two or three types of polyols being selected from the group consisting of:
• three types of polyoxyalkylene polyether polyols having an overall degree of unsaturation of less than 0.06 meq/g and
• three types of polymer polyols obtained from polyoxyalkylene polyether polyols having an overall degree of unsaturation of less than 0.06 meq/g;
• and wherein
• the two or three types of polyols, the polyisocyanate and the blowing agent are mixed at a mixing ratio varied to attain changing of a core density of the flexible polyurethane foam in the range of 20 to 70 kg/m3 and changing of a 25% ILD hardness of the flexible polyurethane foam within the range of 50 to 400 N/314 cm2, thus flexible polyurethane foams having a spectral peak, measured by an infrared spectrophotometer, in the range of 1645 to 1700 cm−1 being obtainable.

An apparatus for producing various kinds of flexible polyurethane foams with different properties, comprising:

• at least one feed opening for feeding a polyisocyanate and one or a plurality of feed openings for feeding essentially two or three types of polyols, wherein
• the polyisocyanate contains tolylene diisocyanate, and
• the polyols consist essentially of two or three types of polyols, at least two of these two or three types of polyols being selected from the group consisting of:
• three types of polyoxyalkylene polyether polyols having an overall degree of unsaturation of less than 0.06 meq/g and
• three types of polymer polyols obtained from polyoxyalkylene polyether polyols having an overall degree of unsaturation of less than 0.06 meq/g;
• and wherein
• at least the polyisocyanate, the polyols and a blowing agent can be mixed by employing a multimixing head (multicomponent head) equipped with at least three feed openings, and
• the mixing ratio of the two or three types of polyols, polyisocyanate and blowing agent is varied to attain various changes of the values of the properties, thus flexible polyurethane foams with desired properties being obtainable.

An apparatus for producing various kinds of flexible polyurethane foams with different properties, comprising:

• at least one feed opening for feeding a polyisocyanate and one or a plurality of feed openings for feeding essentially two or three types of polyols, wherein
• the polyisocyanate contains tolylene diisocyanate in an amount of 20% by weight or more, and
• the polyols consist essentially of two or three types of polyols, at least two of these two or three types of polyols being selected from the group consisting of:
• three types of polyoxyalkylene polyether polyols having an overall degree of unsaturation of less than 0.06 meq/g and
• three types of polymer polyols obtained from polyoxyalkylene polyether polyols having an overall degree of unsaturation of less than 0.06 meq/g;
• and wherein
• the two or three types of polyols, the polyisocyanate and a blowing agent can be mixed at a mixing ratio varied to attain changing of a core density of the flexible polyurethane foam in the range of 20 to 70 kg/m3 and changing of a 25% ILD hardness of the flexible polyurethane foam within the range of 50 to 400 N/314 cm2, thus flexible polyurethane foams having a spectral peak, measured by an infrared spectrophotometer, in the range of 1645 to 1700 cm−1 being obtainable.