Polyurethane foams made from hydroxymethyl-containing polyester polyols

A method of preparing a flexible polyurethane foam comprising bringing an organic polyisocyanate into contact with a polyol composition containing a high equivalent weight polyol or mixture of high equivalent weight polyols, in the presence of a blowing agent that includes water, and a surfactant, under conditions such that the polyisocyanate reacts with the polyol composition and the blowing agent produces a gas, to form a cellular polyurethane and/or polyurea polymer, wherein at least 10% by weight of the high equivalent weight polyol(s) is one or more hydroxymethyl-containing polyester polyols prepared by reacting a hydroxymethyl group-containing fatty acid having from 12-26 carbon atoms, or an ester of such a hydroxymethyl group containing fatty acid, with a polyol or polyamine initiator compound having an average of at least 2 hydroxyl, primary amine and/or secondary amine groups, such that the hydroxymethyl-containing polyester polyol contains an average of at least 1.3 repeating units derived from the hydroxmethyl-group-containing fatty acid or ester per total number of hydroxyl, primary amine and secondary amine groups in the initiator compound, and the hydroxymethyl-containing polyester polyol has an equivalent weight of at least 650 up to 15,000, and further wherein the hydroxymethyl-containing polyester polyol has following average structure:

• [H—X](n-p)—R—[X—Z]p
• wherein R is the residue of a polyether polyol initiator compound having n hydroxyl groups, where n is at least two;
• each X is independently —O—, —NH— or —NR′— in which R′ is an inertly substituted alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, or aralkyl group, p is a number from 1 to n representing the average number of [X—Z] groups per hydroxymethyl-containing polyester polyol molecule, Z is a linear or branched chain containing one or more A groups, provided that the average number of A groups per molecule is ≧1.3 times n, and the A groups include A1, A2, A3 and A4 groups and optionally A5 groups wherein the A1 groups constitute from 20 to 50 mole percent of the A groups, the A2 groups constitute from 1 to 65 mole percent of the A groups, the A3 groups constitute from 0.1 to 10 mole percent of the A groups, the A4 groups constitute up to 30 mole percent of the A groups and the A5 groups constitute up to 7 mole percent of of the A groups, and the A groups contain an average of from 0.95 to 1.2 —CH2O— groups/A group, wherein A1 is:
• wherein B is H or a covalent bond to a carbonyl carbon atom of another A group;
• m is number greater than 3, n is greater than or equal to zero and m+n is from 11 to 19;
• A2 is:
• wherein B is as before, v is a number greater than 3, r and s are each numbers greater than or equal to zero with v+r+s being from 10 to 18, A3 is:
• wherein B, v, each r and s are as defined before, t is a number greater than or equal to zero, and the sum of v, r, s and t is from 10 to 18;
• A4 is
• where w is from 10-24, and A5 is
• where R′ is a linear or branched alkyl group that is substituted with at least one cyclic ether group and optionally one or more hydroxyl groups or other ether groups.