Solvent-blown rigid urethane foams from castor-based polyols

The preparation of trichlorofluoromethane-blown rigid urethane foams using toluenediisocyanate and castor oil-derived polyols was investigated. The castor-based polyols included castor oil, hydroxylated castor oil, technical glycerol-, penta-erythritol-, and sorbitol monoricinoleates, and N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) ricinoleamide. The last of these yielded the best foams when used as the sole polyol component added to the prepolymer. However better foams were obtained by using, as the polyol component, a mixture of a castor oil-derived polyol and a lower-molecular-weight polyol with a higher hydroxyl content. These polyol mixtures yielded more highly cross-linked polymers and hence foams with higher compressive strengths and less tendency to shrink after foaming. The effect of catalyst, silicone surfactant, and trichlorofluoromethane content was also investigated. An empirical relationship between density and compressive strength in a given foam system was derived. Presented at the fall meeting, American Oil Chemists' Society, New York, October 17–19, 1960. A laboratory of the Western Utilization Research and Development Division. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.