ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the various polyols used for polyurethane production and reviews their manufacture and applications. The polyurethanes are a remarkably versatile group of products which can be produced in a wider variety of forms than any other material. The polymerization proceeds by a different route with each of the catalyst types, producing polymers with different structures and properties. It is the base-catalyzed process that is almost universally used in the industry, where the polymerization of propylene oxide proceeds by a ring opening, stepwise addition to an amine or alcohol starter. Polyether polyols used for the manufacture of a flexible polyurethane foam by the slabstock process usually contain other additives. The polyols used in the polyurethane industry are produced to a high standard of quality, with very tight manufacturing specifications. Other useful techniques in the characterization of polyether polyols include the measurements of the level of oxyethylene units and the ratio of primary to secondary hydroxyl groups.
