Trimerization catalysts from sterically hindered salts and tertiary amines having isocyanate reactive groups

1. A composition comprising the contact product of:

(a) at least one active hydrogen-containing compound;

(b) a catalyst composition comprising a combination of (i) at least one sterically hindered carboxylate salt and

(ii) at least one tertiary amine catalyst having at least one isocyanate reactive group comprising a member selected from the group consisting of primary hydroxyl group, a secondary hydroxyl group, a primary amine group, a secondary amine group, a urea group or an amide group; and

(c) at least one blowing agent, with the proviso that the at least one blowing agent is not a chlorofluorocarbon;

wherein the at least one sterically hindered carboxylate salt has the formula:

wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are selected independently from a C 1 -C 18 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or aralkyl, any of which are substituted or unsubstituted;

wherein n is an integer from 0 to 10, inclusive; and

wherein M is an alkali metal ion or a quaternary ammonium ion; and

wherein the at least one tertiary amine catalyst is selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl-N′-methylethanolamine, N,N,N′-trimethylaminopropylethanolamine, N,N-dimethylethanolamine, N,N-diethylethanolamine, N,N-dimethyl-N′,N′-2-hydroxy(propyl)-1,3-propylenediamine, (N,N-dimethylaminoethoxy)ethanol, methyl-hydroxy-ethyl-piperazine, bis(N,N-dimethyl-3-aminopropyl)amine, diethylaminopropyl urea, N,N′-bis(3-diethylaminopropyl)urea, bis(dimethylamino)-2-propanol, 6-dimethylamino-1-hexanol, N-(3-aminopropyl) imidazole, N-(2-hydroxypropyl) imidazole, N-(2-hydroxyethyl) imidazole, 2-[N-(dimethylaminoethoxyethyl)-N-methylamino]ethanol, N, N-dimethylaminoethyl-N′-methyl-N′-ethanol, dimethylaminoethoxyethanol, N,N,N′-trimethyl-N′-3-aminopropyl-bis(aminoethyl)ether, or a combination thereof.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are selected independently from methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, phenyl, tolyl, and benzyl.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein M is an ion of lithium, potassium, sodium, or rubidium.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein M is tetramethylammonium, tetraethylammonium, tetrapropylammonium, tetrabutylammonium, dimethyldiallyl-ammonium, 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.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sterically hindered carboxylate salt is potassium pivalate, tetramethylammonium pivalate, 2-hydroxyl-propyltrimethylammonium pivalate, 2-hydroxylpropyltriethylammonium pivalate, tetraethylammonium pivalate, tetrapropylammonium pivalate, tetrabutylammonium pivalate, dimethyldiallylammonium pivalate, potassium triethylacetate, tetramethyl-ammonium triethylacetate, 2-hydroxylpropyltrimethylammonium triethylacetate, 2-hydroxylpropyltriethylammonium triethylacetate, tetraethylammonium triethylacetate, tetrapropylammonium triethylacetate, tetrabutylammonium triethylacetate, potassium neoheptanoate, tetramethylammonium neoheptanoate, 2-hydroxylpropyltrimethyl-ammonium neoheptanoate, 2-hydroxylpropyltriethylammonium neoheptanoate, tetraethylammonium neoheptanoate, tetrapropylammonium neoheptanoate, tetrabutyl-ammonium neoheptanoate, potassium neooctanoate, tetramethylammonium neooctanoate, 2-hydroxylpropyltrimethylammonium neooctanoate, 2-hydroxylpropyl-triethylammonium neooctanoate, tetraethylammonium neooctanoate, tetrapropyl-ammonium neooctanoate, tetrabutylammonium neooctanoate, potassium neodecanoate, tetramethylammonium neodecanoate, 2-hydroxylpropyltrimethylammonium neodecanoate, 2-hydroxylpropyltriethylammonium neodecanoate, tetraethylammonium neodecanoate, tetrapropylammonium neodecanoate, tetrabutylammonium neodecanoate, or any combination thereof.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sterically hindered carboxylate salt is a salt of pivalic acid, triethylacetic acid, neohexanoic acid, neoheptanoic acid, neooctanoic acid, neodecanoic acid, neoundecanoic acid, neododecanoic acid, or any combination thereof.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one blowing agent is water, methylene chloride, acetone, a hydrocarbon, or any combination thereof.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one blowing agent is n-pentane, iso-pentane, cyclopentane, or any combination thereof.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one active hydrogen-containing compound is at least one polyether polyol, at least one polyester polyol, or any combination thereof.

10. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising at least one alkali metal α,β-unsaturated carboxylate salt, at least one alkali metal carboxylate salt, at least one alkaline earth metal α,β-unsaturated carboxylate salt, at least one alkaline earth metal carboxylate salt, at least one quaternary ammonium α,β-unsaturated carboxylate salt, or at least one quaternary ammonium carboxylate salt, or any combination thereof.

11. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising at least one urethane catalyst.

12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst composition comprising at least one sterically hindered carboxylate salt is thermally stable at a temperature up to about 150° C.

13. A method for preparing a polyisocyanurate/polyurethane foam which comprises contacting at least one polyisocyanate with at least one active hydrogen-containing compound, in the presence of at least one blowing agent and an effective amount of a catalyst composition comprising a combination of (i) at least one sterically hindered carboxylate salt and (ii) at least one tertiary amine catalyst having at least one isocyanate reactive group comprising a member selected from the group consisting of primary hydroxyl group, a secondary hydroxyl group, a primary amine group, a secondary amine group, a urea group or an amide group; wherein the at least one blowing agent is not a chlorofluorocarbon;

wherein the at least one sterically hindered carboxylate salt has the formula:

wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are selected independently from a C 1 -C 18 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or aralkyl, any of which are substituted or unsubstituted;

wherein n is an integer from 0 to 10, inclusive; and

wherein M is an alkali metal ion or a quaternary ammonium ion; and

wherein the at least one tertiary amine catalyst is selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl-N′-methylethanolamine, N,N,N′-trimethylaminopropylethanolamine, N,N-dimethylethanolamine, N,N-diethylethanolamine, N,N-dimethyl-N′,N′-2-hydroxy(propyl)-1,3-propylenediamine, (N,N-dimethylaminoethoxy)ethanol, methyl-hydroxy-ethyl-piperazine, bis(N,N-dimethyl-3-aminopropyl)amine, diethylaminopropyl urea, N,N′-bis(3-diethylaminopropyl)urea, bis(dimethylamino)-2-propanol, 6-dimethylamino-1-hexanol, N-(3-aminopropyl) imidazole, N-(2-hydroxypropyl) imidazole, N-(2-hydroxyethyl) imidazole, 2-[N-(dimethylaminoethoxyethyl)-N-methylamino]ethanol, N, N-dimethylaminoethyl-N′-methyl-N′-ethanol, dimethylaminoethoxyethanol, N,N,N′-trimethyl-N′-3-aminopropyl-bis(aminoethyl)ether, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the presence of at least one urethane catalyst.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the catalyst composition comprising the at least one sterically hindered carboxylate salt is present in an amount from about 0.05 to about 10 parts by weight per hundred weight parts of the at least one active hydrogen-containing compound.

16. 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 of the polyol (pphp) blowing agent, with the proviso that the blowing agent is not a chlorofluorocarbon;

iii) about 0.5 to about 10 pphp silicon surfactant;

iv) zero to about 10 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 10 pphp of a catalyst composition comprising a combination of at least one sterically hindered carboxylate salt and at least one tertiary amine catalyst having at least one isocyanate reactive group comprising a member selected from the group consisting of primary hydroxyl group, a secondary hydroxyl group, a primary amine group, a secondary amine group, a urea group or an amide group; and

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

wherein the at least one sterically hindered carboxylate salt has the formula:

wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are selected independently from a C 1 -C 18 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, or aralkyl, any of which are substituted or unsubstituted;

wherein n is an integer from 0 to 10, inclusive; and

wherein M is an alkali metal ion or a quaternary ammonium ion; and

wherein the at least one tertiary amine catalyst is selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl-N′-methylethanolamine, N,N,N′-trimethylaminopropylethanolamine, N,N-dimethylethanolamine, N,N-diethylethanolamine, N,N-dimethyl-N′,N′-2-hydroxy(propyl)-1,3-propylenediamine, (N,N-dimethylaminoethoxy)ethanol, methyl-hydroxy-ethyl-piperazine, bis(N,N-dimethyl-3-aminopropyl)amine, diethylaminopropyl urea, N,N′-bis(3-diethylaminopropyl)urea, bis(dimethylamino)-2-propanol, 6-dimethylamino-1-hexanol, N-(3-aminopropyl) imidazole, N-(2-hydroxypropyl) imidazole, N-(2-hydroxyethyl) imidazole, 2-[N-(dimethylaminoethoxyethyl)-N-methylamino]ethanol, N,N-dimethylaminoethyl-N′-methyl-N′-ethanol, dimethylaminoethoxyethanol, N,N,N′-trimethyl-N′-3-aminopropyl-bis(aminoethyl)ether, or a combination thereof.