An aldehyde composition derived by hydroformylation of a transesterified
seed oil and containing a mixture of formyl-substituted fatty acids or
fatty acid esters having the following composition by weight: greater
than about 10 to less than about 95 percent monoformyl, greater than
about 1 to less than about 65 percent diformyl, and greater than about
0.1 to less than about 10 percent triformyl-substituted fatty acids or
fatty acid esters, and having a diformyl to triformyl weight ratio of
greater than about 5/1; preferably, greater than about 3 to less than
about 20 percent saturates; and preferably, greater than about 1 to less
than about 20 percent unsaturates. An alcohol composition derived by
hydrogenation of the aforementioned aldehyde composition, containing a
mixture of hydroxymethyl-substituted fatty acids or fatty acid esters
having the following composition by weight: greater than about 10 to less
than about 95 percent monoalcohol {mono(hydroxymethyl)}, greater than
about 1 to less than about 65 percent diol {di(hydroxymethyl)}, greater
than about 0.1 to less than about 10 percent triol,
tri(hydroxymethyl)-substituted fatty acids or fatty acid esters;
preferably greater than about 3 to less than about 35 percent saturates;
and preferably, less than about 10 percent unsaturates. The alcohol
composition can be converted into an oligomeric polyol for use in the
manufacture of polyurethane slab stock flexible foam.