Cured polyester plastic compositions derived from recycled polyurethanes
AssigneeArco Chemical Technology, L.P.
InventorsLau S. Yang, Diane A. Kooker
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Abstract
Cured, thermoset plastic articles derived from scrap polyurethanes are disclosed. The polyurethane is converted to a liquified mixture containing digested polyurethane and cyclic, unsaturated anhydride. A Lewis acid then catalyzes insertion of the cyclic, unsaturated anhydride into the polyether backbone of the polyurethane to give a liquid, unsaturated resin. The unsaturated resin can cured with a vinyl monomer in the presence of a free-radical initiator to give a cured, thermoset plastic.
Claims22
A cured, thermoset plastic article, said article comprising the reaction product of:
- (a) a vinyl monomer;
- (b) a free-radical initiator;
- and
- (c) a liquid, unsaturated resin prepared by
- (i) heating a polyether-based polyurethane with an unsaturated, cyclic anhydride to form a liquified mixture that contains digested polyurethane;
- (ii) heating the liquified mixture in the presence of a Lewis acid to promote insertion of the cyclic, unsaturated anhydride into the polyether backbone of the polyurethane to produce a liquid, unsaturated resin.
A thermosettable resin composition, said composition comprising:
- (a) a vinyl monomer;
- and
- (b) a liquid, unsaturated resin prepared by
- (i) heating a polyether-based polyurethane with an unsaturated, cyclic anhydride to form a liquified mixture that contains digested polyurethane;
- (ii) heating the liquified mixture in the presence of a Lewis acid to promote insertion of the cyclic, unsaturated anhydride into the polyether backbone of the polyurethane to produce a liquid, unsaturated resin.
A process for converting a polyether-based polyurethane to a cured, plastic article, said process comprising:
- (a) preparing a liquid, unsaturated resin by
- (i) heating the polyether-based polyurethane with an unsaturated, cyclic anhydride to form a liquified mixture that contains digested polyurethane;
- (ii) heating the liquified mixture in the presence of a Lewis acid to promote insertion of the cyclic, unsaturated anhydride into the polyether backbone of the polyurethane to produce a liquid, unsaturated resin;
- (b) mixing the liquid, unsaturated resin with a vinyl monomer;
- and
- (c) curing the resin in the presence of a free-radical initiator to produce the cured, plastic article.
A method of using a liquid, unsaturated resin prepared from the reaction of a polyether-based polyurethane and a cyclic, unsaturated anhydride, said method comprising reacting the liquid, unsaturated resin with a vinyl monomer in the presence of a free-radical initiator to produce a cured, plastic article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.