Stabilized carbanions as trimerization catalysts

1. A method of producing an isocyanurate comprising:

providing at least one isocyanate,

contacting the isocyanate with a catalyst composition comprising at least one carbanion compound having the formula:

wherein R 1 and R 2 in each occurrence are selected independently from a hydrogen atom; a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 36 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or aralkyl group; an oxygen atom; —OR 4 ; or —NHR 4 ;

wherein R 3 and R 4 in each occurrence are selected independently from a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 36 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or aralkyl group;

wherein M in each occurrence is selected independently from:

potassium or a quaternary ammonium ion;

wherein p is 1 or 2; and

wherein q is 1, 2, or 3;

under conditions sufficient to produce the isocyanurate.

2. A method of making a polyisocyanurate/polyurethane (PIR/PUR) foam comprising:

providing at least one polyisocyanate,

contacting the at least one polyisocyanate with at least one active hydrogen-containing compound in the presence of at least one blowing agent and a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst composition under conditions sufficient to produce the PIR/PUR foam, the catalyst composition comprising at least one carbanion compound having the formula:

wherein R 1 and R 2 in each occurrence are selected independently from a hydrogen atom; a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 36 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or aralkyl group; an oxygen atom; —OR 4 ; or —NHR 4 ;

wherein R 3 and R 4 in each occurrence are selected independently from a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 36 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or aralkyl group;

wherein M in each occurrence is selected independently from:

potassium or a quaternary ammonium ion;

wherein p is 1 or 2; and

wherein q is 1, 2, or 3.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least carbanion compound is potassium acetylacetonate, tetramethylammonium acetylacetonate, tetraethylammonium acetylacetonate, potassium malonate, tetramethylammonium malonate, tetraethylammonium malonate, potassium methyl malonate, tetramethylammonium methyl malonate, tetraethylammonium methyl malonate, potassium dimethyl malonate, tetramethylammonium dimethyl malonate, tetraethylammonium dimethyl malonate, potassium ethyl malonate, tetramethylammonium ethyl malonate, tetraethylammonium ethyl malonate, potassium butyl malonate, potassium allyl malonate, potassium benzyl malonate, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the contacting of the at least one polyisocyanate with the at least one active hydrogen-containing compound occurs in the presence of at least one urethane catalyst.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the contacting of the at least one polyisocyanate with the at least one active hydrogen-containing compound occurs in the presence of at least one additive selected from at least one cell stabilizer, at least one flame retardant, at least one chain extender, at least one epoxy resin, at least one acrylic resin, at least one filler, at least one pigment, or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one polyisocyanate comprises diphenyl methane diisocyanate.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one active hydrogen-containing compound is at least one polyether polyol, at least one polyester polyol, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one blowing agent is water, methylene chloride, acetone, a chlorofluorocarbon, a hydrofluorocarbon, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon, a hydrocarbon, or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one blowing agent is n-pentane, iso-pentane, cyclopentane, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the catalyst composition is present in an amount from about 0.05 to about 15 parts by weight per hundred weight parts of the at least one active hydrogen-containing compound.

11. A method for preparing a polyisocyanurate/polyurethane foam comprising

(a) forming a premix comprising:

i) at least one polyol;

ii) about 10 to about 80 parts by weight per hundred weight parts polyol (pphp) blowing agent;

iii) about 0.5 to about 10 pphp silicon surfactant;

iv) zero to about 15 pphp water;

v) zero to about 50 pphp flame retardant;

vi) zero to about 10 pphp urethane catalyst; and

vii) about 0.05 to about 15 pphp of a catalyst composition comprising at least one carbanion compound having the formula:

wherein R 1 and R 2 in each occurrence are selected independently from a hydrogen atom; a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 36 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or aralkyl group; an oxygen atom; —OR 4 ; or —NHR 4 ;

wherein R 3 and R 4 in each occurrence are selected independently from a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 36 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or aralkyl group;

wherein M in each occurrence is selected independently from:

potassium or quaternary ammonium ion;

wherein p is 1 or 2;

wherein q is 1, 2, or 3; and

(b) contacting the premix with at least one polyisocyanate at an Isocyanate Index from about 80 to about 800.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are selected independently from a hydrogen atom; a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 8 alkyl, aryl, or aralkyl group; or an oxygen atom.

13. The method of claim 2 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are selected independently from a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, a butyl group, a pentyl group, a hexyl group, an ethenyl group, a propenyl group, a butenyl group, a pentenyl group, a hexenyl group, a phenyl group, a tolyl group, a benzyl group, or an oxygen atom.

14. The method of claim 2 , wherein R 3 is a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, a butyl group, a pentyl group, a hexyl group, an ethenyl group, a propenyl group, a butenyl group, a pentenyl group, a hexenyl group, a phenyl group, a tolyl group, or a benzyl group.

15. The method of claim 2 , wherein R 4 is a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, a butyl group, a pentyl group, a hexyl group, an ethenyl group, a propenyl group, a butenyl group, a pentenyl group, a hexenyl group, a phenyl group, a tolyl group, or a benzyl group.

16. The method of claim 2 , wherein M is a quaternary ammonium ion.

17. The method of claim 2 , wherein M is an ion of potassium.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the quaternary ammonium ion is tetramethylammonium, tetraethylammonium, tetrapropylammonium, tetrabutylammonium, trimethyl(2-hydroxypropyl)ammonium, triethyl( 2 -hydroxypropyl)ammonium, tripropyl(2-hydroxypropyl )ammonium, tributyl(2-hydroxypropyl)ammonium, trimethyl(2-hydroxyethyl) ammonium, triethyl(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium, tripropyl(2-hydroxyethyl) ammonium, tributyl(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium, dimethylbenzyl(2-hydroxypropyl)ammonium, or dimethylbenzyl(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein M is a quaternary ammonium ion.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein M is potassium.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is substantially free of volatile amines.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein the method is substantially free of volatile amines.

23. The method of claim 2 wherein the foam is used for producing laminated panels.

24. A method of producing an isocyanurate comprising:

providing at least one isocyante comprising at least of diphenyl methane diisocvanate isomers and toluene diisocyanate,

providing a catalyst composition comprising at least one carbanion compound having the formula:

wherein R 1 and R 2 in each occurrence are selected independently from a hydrogen atom; a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 36 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or aralkyl group; an oxygen atom; —OR 4 ; or —NHR 4 ;

wherein R 3 and R 4 in each occurrence are selected independently from a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 36 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or aralkyl group;

wherein M in each occurrence is selected independently from:

(i) an alkali metal ion,

(ii) an alkaline earth metal ion, or

(iii) a quaternary ammonium ion;

wherein p is 1 or 2; and

wherein q is 1, 2, or 3;

contacting the catalyst with a solvent, and;

contacting the isocyanate with a solvated catalyst composition.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the solvent comprises ethylene glycol.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein M is a potassium ion.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein M is a quaternary ammonium ion.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein R 1 is a methyl group.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein R 2 is a methyl group.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein R 3 is H.