Rigid polyurethane foams from diethanolamides of carboxylated oils and fatty acids

New polyols of high hydroxyl content and reactivity were made from linseed and soybean oils and acids by catalytic carboxylation followed by reaction with diethanolamine. Urethane foams made with these diethanolamides were stronger than those made with castor oil at equivalent polyol wt. Because of their higher hydroxyl content, a larger amount of diethanolamides could be incorporated in foam formulations than is possible with castor oil. The rigid urethane foams prepared with the new polyols meet the requirements of commercial products with respect to density, compressive strength, and dimensional stability.