Foams based on alkene-urethane copolymers and a process for their cold vulcanisation

摘要

Foams based on alkene-urethane copolymers and a process for their cold vulcanisation. The foam comprises repeated units of alkene-urethane blocks. The alkene is an unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon which contains at least two double bonds and at least one hydroxyl functional group joined to one carbon, optionally substituted with an aryl functional group, and preferably the alkene is a functional derivative of 1,3-butadiene, 2-methylbutadiene and butadiene-styrene with one hydroxyl group at each of its ends. The foams can be manufactured by mixing the alkene with a polyisocyanate in the presence of a catalyst and a foaming agent. The process for vulcanising the foam comprises reacting the free hydroxyl functional groups present in the alkene residue of the copolymer with isocyanate functional groups present in the reaction medium. These foams are suitable for manufacturing moulded parts with applications in damping.