POLYETHER TRIOLS, TETRAHYDROFURAN-ALKYLENEOXIDES COPOLYMERS FOR FLEXIBLE POLYURETHANE FOAMS

The study presents a new process for the synthesis of polyether triols , tetrahydrofuran (THF)-alkyleneoxides copolymers for flexible polyure thane foams, by the cationic ring opening copolymerization of THF and propyleneoxide (PO) and/or ethyleneoxide (EO), initiated by glycerol o r trimethylolpropane as starters. By using the principles of ''activat ed monomer mechanism'', (a new achievement in the cationic polymerizat ion of alkyleneoxides), in the adopted reaction conditions, the equili brium polymerization of THF and the formation of undesired cyclic olig omers (from alkyleneoxides) are suppressed. Thus, a great variety of c opolyether triols having molecular weight 3000-6000 were synthesized ( THF-PO, THF-EO, THF-EO-PO, THF-PO-EO etc.). The excellent properties o f the flexible polyurethane foams based on these new telechelic interm ediates, as compared with classical polyether triols based exclusively on PO and EO, were investigated.