US 12,410,276 B2
Method of recycling polyurethane materials
Thomas Vanbergen, Schulen (BE); Dirk De Vos, Holsbeek (BE); Laurens Claes, Mechelen (BE); Isabel Verlent, Wetteren (BE); and Joke De Geeter, Wetteren (BE)
Assigned to Carpenter Engineered Foams Belgium BV, Machelen (BE)
Appl. No. 17/633,043
Filed by RECTICEL, Brussels (BE)
PCT Filed Aug. 7, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/072323
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 4, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/023889, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 11, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1910896 (EP), filed on Aug. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0325031 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. C08G 18/76 (2006.01); C08G 18/48 (2006.01); C08J 11/24 (2006.01); C08K 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC C08G 18/7621 (2013.01) [C08G 18/48 (2013.01); C08J 11/24 (2013.01); C08K 5/0033 (2013.01); C08J 2375/08 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
 
1. A method for alcoholising and hydrolysing polyurethane (PUR) materials made from at least one polyol compound and at least one toluene diisocyanate based compound, hereinafter TDI compound; wherein the method comprises the following steps:
contacting the polyurethane material with at least one alcoholising compound, thereby forming a reaction mixture (M0) and allowing the polyurethane material and the alcoholising compound to react in said reaction mixture (M0), thereby forming a mixture (M);
allowing the mixture (M) to separate into at least an upper phase, hereinafter phase (A), and a lower phase, hereinafter phase (B), wherein phase (A) and phase (B) are two immiscible phases;
subjecting phase (B) to at least one hydrolysis step, thereby forming a phase (B1);
wherein phase (B) comprises at least a toluene diamine compound, hereinafter TDA compound, and a toluene dicarbamate compound, hereinafter TDC compound;
wherein the at least one alcoholising compound is characterized by a melting point of lower than 200° C.;
wherein the at least one alcoholising compound is characterized by a hydroxyl functionality of at least 2; and
with the proviso that the at least one alcoholising compound is not glycerol.