Process for reducing aldehyde emissions in polyether polyols and polyurethane foams

A process for reducing aldehyde emissions from a polyether polyol, comprising combining 0.01 to 5 parts by weight of at least one β-diketone compound and 0.01 to 5 parts by weight of at least one water-soluble, amino-functional polymer having a number average molecular weight of at least 300 and at least 3 primary and/or secondary amino groups per molecule with 100 parts by weight of the polyether polyol, wherein the β-diketone compound is represented by structure I:

• wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from hydrogen, —NH2, —NH—R3—N(R4)2, —OR4 and —R4, wherein each R3 and R4 is independently unsubstituted hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon substituted with one or more of O, N, S, P or halogen, with the proviso that R1 and R2 together may form a divalent radical and further provided that at least one of R1 and R2 is not hydrogen.

A polyether polyol having a hydroxyl equivalent weight of at least 200 grams per equivalent of hydroxyl groups, which polyether polyol contains 0.01 to 5 parts by weight of at least one β-diketone compound and 0.01 to 5 parts by weight of at least one water-soluble, amino-functional polymer having a number average molecular weight of at least 300 and at least 3 primary and/or secondary amino groups per molecule with 100 parts by weight of the polyether polyol, wherein the β-diketone compound is represented by structure I:

• wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from hydrogen, —NH2, —NH—R3—N(R4)2, —OR4 and —R4, wherein each R3 and R4 is independently unsubstituted hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon substituted with one or more of O, N, S, P or halogen, with the proviso that R1 and R2 together may form a divalent radical and further provided that at least one of R1 and R2 is not hydrogen.