Stepan Company

Rigid polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foams, polyester polyols used to produce them, and methods for formulating the foams are disclosed. The foams comprise a reaction product of a polyisocyanate, a polyester polyol, water, a surfactant, a catalyst and optional ingredients. The polyester polyols comprise a phthalimide-containing polyacid, a phthalimide-containing polyol, or a combination thereof. Rigid foams produced from the polyester polyols exhibit higher thermal stability and/or greater intumescence when compared with foams made from other polyester polyols. The phthalimide-containing polyester polyols should allow formulators to improve the flammability performance of rigid foams with reduced levels of flame retardants and/or lower index and should facilitate the production of thinner insulation panels.

Disclosed are compositions that can overcome the adverse effect that particular surfactants have on the viability, growth and biological activity of live beneficial microorganisms. The compositions include at least one anionic surfactant and at least one amphoteric surfactant or glyceryl monoesters and/or diesters, each of which, individually, adversely affect viability, growth, and/or biological activity of beneficial microorganisms, but used in combination, overcome the adverse effect that each surfactant exhibits on the beneficial microorganism. The compositions further include the beneficial microorganism, and optionally, at least one nonionic surfactant that adversely affects the viability, growth, and/or biological activity of beneficial microorganism. Also disclosed is a method for overcoming the adverse effect that particular surfactants have on beneficial microorganisms by combining selected anionic surfactants and amphoteric surfactants or glyceryl monoesters and/or diesters in particular amounts and ratios with the beneficial microorganism.

Clear, stable concentrated liquid compositions are disclosed that comprise from 30% to 90% by weight of an esterquat active, and from 10% to 50% by weight of a particular solvent system. The esterquat active is the quaternized reaction product of a fatty acyl source having an Iodine Value of 40 to 130 reacted with an alkanolamine at a fatty acyl to alkanolamine molar ratio of 1.0:1 to 2.2:1. The concentrated liquid compositions have a VOC content of less than 5%, a Biorenewable Carbon Index (BCI) of at least 20 and a viscosity of less than 5000 cP at 25° C. The concentrated liquid compositions can be easily diluted in water to form stable aqueous dispersions.

Water-dispersible solid compositions that comprise at least one water-soluble polysaccharide, and at least one quaternary ammonium compound, amine, or protonated amine compound as an active ingredient that is absorbed by the polysaccharide are disclosed. The compositions are useful for a wide variety of applications, such as fabric softener compositions, hair care compositions, sanitizing compositions, and well bore treatment compositions.

Rigid polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foams, polyester polyols used to produce them, and methods for formulating the foams are disclosed. The foams comprise a reaction product of a polyisocyanate, a polyester polyol, water, a surfactant, a catalyst and optional ingredients. The polyester polyols comprise a phthalimide-containing polyacid, a phthalimide-containing polyol, or a combination thereof. Rigid foams produced from the polyester polyols exhibit higher thermal stability and/or greater intumescence when compared with foams made from other polyester polyols. The phthalimide-containing polyester polyols should allow formulators to improve the flammability performance of rigid foams with reduced levels of flame retardants and/or lower index and should facilitate the production of thinner insulation panels.

Clear, stable concentrated liquid compositions are disclosed that comprise from 30% to 90% by weight of an esterquat active, and from 10% to 50% by weight of a particular solvent system. The esterquat active is the quaternized reaction product of a fatty acyl source having an Iodine Value of 40 to 130 reacted with an alkanolamine at a fatty acyl to alkanolamine molar ratio of 1.0:1 to 2.2:1. The concentrated liquid compositions have a VOC content of less than 5%, a Biorenewable Carbon Index (BCI) of at least 20 and a viscosity of less than 5000 cP at 25° C. The concentrated liquid compositions can be easily diluted in water to form stable aqueous dispersions.

The technology presented herein, in general, relates to the use of biosurfactants, such as rhamnolipids, for treating and/or accelerating the healing of wounds. More particularly, the present technology relates to a method for treating wounds, by applying a composition comprising a mixture of particular rhamnolipids to the wound, wherein application of the composition facilitates coordinated gene expression associated with wound healing.

Copolymers comprising recurring units of a phenyl glycidyl ether and alkylene oxides are disclosed. Some of the copolymers comprise a di- or polyfunctional nucleophilic initiator and recurring units of the phenyl glycidyl ether and an alkylene oxide. The di- or polyfunctional nucleophilic initiator is an alcohol, phenol, amine, thiol, thiophenol, sulfinic acid, or deprotonated species thereof. Other copolymers comprise a monofunctional nucleophilic initiator selected from thiols, thiophenols, aralkylated phenols, sulfinic acids, secondary amines, C 10 -C 20 terpene alcohols, and deprotonated species thereof. Pigments dispersions comprising the copolymers are also disclosed. The copolymers meet the growing needs of the industry with their ease of manufacture, diverse structures, and desirable performance attributes for dispersing a wide range of organic and inorganic pigments. Agricultural applications for the copolymers are also disclosed.

Hard surface cleaning compositions that contain at least one rhamnolipid, at least one alkyl sulfate anionic surfactant, and optionally, at least one builder are disclosed. The compositions provide a combination of good soil removal and low film/streak properties, and are useful for soil removal applications including, but not limited to, cleaning bathroom and kitchen articles and/or surfaces.

A composition comprising: (a) 0.1 to 30.0 wt. % of a surfactant; (b) 0.5 to 90.0 wt. % of an active selected from herbicides, fungicides, insecticides or nematicides; (c) 1.0 to 40.0% of a solvent selected from an aqueous solvent, an organic solvent selected from aromatics, amides, alcohols, esters, dimethyl sulfoxide, petroleum distillates, n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone or combinations thereof; and (d) 1.0 to 95.0 wt. % of a low-mole alkoxylate of the formula: R—O-(AO) p H wherein R is a linear or branched C 8 -C 16 alkyl group, AO is oxypropylene (PO), oxyethylene (EO), or combinations thereof in random or block configuration, p has an average value within the range of 0.5 to 7, the average number of PO groups is within the range of 0.5 to 4, and the average number of EO groups is within the range of 0 to 3.