Concrete foams

As with SMC, appHcations are limited to high volume because of the capital investment in equipment and tooling. Thermoset compression molders require additional heating and material Handling equipment to adapt their process to thermoplastic sheet fabrication. AppHcations include automotive bumper beams, load floors, radiator supports, battery trays, and package shelves. Chair sheUs, military containers, material Handling pallets, trays, and concrete foaming pans are also produced. 

The percentage of solids in the dispersion adhesives is 35-55%, in some cases as much as 70%, the rest is water, which after the adhesive application must either be completely evaporated (ventilation time) or diffuse into the joined parts (wood, textiles, concrete, foams, leather). The film formation temperature in types containing plasticizers and flexibilizing additives is lower than in types that are free of plasticizers. Additives, so-called high boilers (ethyl glycol, ethyl glycol acetate, ethylhexanol), are used to bring the film formation temperature down. 

Installation Solid door frame, no grouting is required to fill inside of frame Frame cavity is filled by concrete/foams... 

In the building industry, concrete foams are mainly used as lightweight blocks, load-compensating structures... 

Uses Solubilizer for disinfectants foam additive for industrial detergents concrete foaming agent... 

In other surfactant uses, dodecanol—tetradecanol is employed to prepare porous concrete (39), stearyl alcohol is used to make a polymer concrete (40), and lauryl alcohol is utilized for froth flotation of ores (41). A foamed composition of hexadecanol is used for textile printing (42) and a foamed composition of octadecanol is used for coating polymers (43). On the other hand, foam is controUed by detergent range alcohols in appHcations by lauryl alcohol in steel cleaning (44), by octadecanol in a detergent composition (45), and by eicosanol—docosanol in various systems (46). 

Residential Construction. Owing to rising energy costs, the cost and low thermal conductivity are of prime importance in wall and ceiling insulation of residential buildings. The combination of insulation efficiency, desirable stmctural properties, ease of appHcation, abiHty to reduce air infiltration, and moisture resistance has led to use of extmded polymeric foam in residential constmction as sheathing, as perimeter and floor insulation under concrete, and as a combined plaster base and insulation for walls. 

The insulating value and mechanical properties of rigid plastic foams have led to the development of several novel methods of buUding constmction. Polyurethane foam panels may be used as unit stmctural components (220) and expanded polystyrene is employed as a concrete base in thin-sheU constmction (221). 

Traditional appHcations for latices are adhesives, binders for fibers and particulate matter, protective and decorative coatings (qv), dipped goods, foam, paper coatings, backings for carpet and upholstery, modifiers for bitumens and concrete, and thread and textile modifiers. More recent appHcations include biomedical appHcations as protein immobilizers, visual detectors in immunoassays (qv), as release agents, in electronic appHcations as photoresists for circuit boards, in batteries (qv), conductive paint, copy machines, and as key components in molecular electronic devices. 

Because of low injection pressure, some cost savings are possible in mold and press constmction. Mol ding cycles are somewhat longer than for injection molding. The part must be cooled in the mold long enough to be able to resist swelling from internal gas pressure. In stmctural foam parts there is almost a total absence of sink marks, even in the case of unequal section thickness. Stmctural foam has replaced wood, concrete, sohd plastics, and metals in a variety of appHcations. 

In modem PMR constmction, thermal iasulation that is unaffected by water or that can be kept dry ia some manner is required. Extmded polystyrene (XEPS) foam iasulation boards ate commonly employed (see Insulation, thermal). They ate placed on top of the waterproofing roof membrane, which is next to the deck. The iasulation should not be adhered to the membrane. Ballast at the rate of >48.8 kg/m (1000 lb/100 ft ) holds the iasulation ia place and offers protection from the sun. The iasulation joiats ate open and drainage must be provided. Various other materials, eg, patio blocks and concrete slabs, ate also used as sutfaciags and ballast. The extra weight imposes mote exacting requirements on constmction. 

Thermal Insulation. Foamed plastics (qv) are used as thermal insulation for aU types of constmction because of their low heat- and moisture-transmission values. Polystyrene is used either as foamed board or expandable beads. The foam may be faced with a stmctural surfacing material, eg, a kraft liner-board, to form a panel for insulating mobile homes. These foams can dupHcate the appearance of wood and be used as trim. Foams can also be used as backing, for example, on aluminum siding, to provide heat and sound insulation. Foamed beads can be incorporated in concrete to reduce its density and provide some thermal insulation. 

Air-Entrainment Agents. Materials that are used to improve the abiUty of concrete to resist damage from freezing are generally known as air-entrainment agents. These surfactant admixtures (see Surfactants) produce a foam which persists in the mixed concrete, and serves to entrain many small spherical air voids that measure from 10 to 250 p.m in diameter. The air voids alleviate internal stresses in the concrete that may occur when the pore solution freezes. In practice, up to 10% air by volume may be entrained in concrete placed in severe environments. 

The optimum material is CFRP. The next best is polyurethane foam. Wood is obviously impractical, but beryllium is good. Glass is better than steel, aluminium or concrete (that is why most mirrors are made of glass), but a lot less good ihan beryllium, which is used for mirrors when cost is not a concern. 

Little information is available on the performance of copper and of copper alloys in contact with concrete, but concrete sometimes contains ammonia, even traces of which will induce stress-corrosion cracking of copper pipe. The ammonia may be derived from nitrogenous foaming agents used for producing lightweight insulating concrete. 

Figure 1 indicates a typical nitroglycerin facility "inside out" wood frame construction at a concrete floor slab. Note that the exterior cant strip, the lead conductive floor cant and the wood cap are all sloped to discourage product build-up and facilitate cleaning. This assembly also indicates spray-on foam insulation as an optional construction item. At Radford AAP this is a safety approved insulation system. The insulation at Radford AAP received a chlorinated rubber paint coating for weathering. 

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