Isocyanate foam

However, this is an oversimplification since other reactions are also usually involved [Backus, 1977 Backus et al., 1988 Occhiello and Corti, 2003]. Foamed products such as seat cushions and bedding are the largest applications of polyurethanes. Water is often deliberately added in the production of flexible polyurethane foams. Isocyanate groups react with water to form urea linkages in the polymer chain with the evolution of carbon dioxide. The... 

Keywords spray foam, isocyanate free, silane terminated, prepolymers... 

ASTM D 1638-74 Standard Methods of Testing Urethane Foam Isocyanate Raw Materials, 20 pp (DOD Adopted) (Conun D-20)... 

Because of the high cross-Knk density of polyisocyanurates, the resultant foam tends to be brittle. Consequently, there has been a move toward making polyisocyanurate-polyurethance combinations. For example, the isocyanate trimerization reaction has been carried out with isocyanate end-capped TDI-based prepolymers to make isocyanurate-containing polyurethane foams. Isocyanate trimerization in the... 

Polyurethane Foam n (urethane foam, isocyanate foam) This family of foams differs from other cellular plastics in that the chemical reactions causing foaming occur simultaneously with the polymer-forming reactions. As in the case of Polyurethane Resins the polymeric constituent of urethane foams is made by reacting a polyol with an isocyanate. The polyol may be of the polyester or polyether type. When the isocyanate is in excess of the amount that will react with the polyol. 

The polycondensation of di-isocyanates with polyhydric alcohols gives a wide range of polyurethanes which are used as artificial rubbers and light-weight foams, and have other important properties. Isocyanates are also used as modifiers in alkyd resins. ... 

Foams. Polyurethane foams are prepared by the polymerization of polyols with isocyanates. 

Commonly used isocyanates are toluene dhsocyanate, methylene diphenyl isocyanate, and polymeric isocyanates. Polyols used are macroglycols based on either polyester or polyether. The former [poly(ethylene phthalate) or poly(ethylene 1,6-hexanedioate)] have hydroxyl groups that are free to react with the isocyanate. Most flexible foam is made from 80/20 toluene dhsocyanate (which refers to the ratio of 2,4-toluene dhsocyanate to 2,6-toluene dhsocyanate). High-resilience foam contains about 80% 80/20 toluene dhsocyanate and 20% poly(methylene diphenyl isocyanate), while semi-flexible foam is almost always 100% poly(methylene diphenyl isocyanate). Much of the latter reacts by trimerization to form isocyanurate rings. 

The urethane forming ingredients in a polyurethane foam formulation are the isocyanate (1) and the polyol (2) as shown in equation 3. 

Another type of polyol often used in the manufacture of flexible polyurethane foams contains a dispersed soHd phase of organic chemical particles (234—236). The continuous phase is one of the polyols described above for either slab or molded foam as required. The dispersed phase reacts in the polyol using an addition reaction with styrene and acrylonitrile monomers in one type or a coupling reaction with an amine such as hydrazine and isocyanate in another. The soHds content ranges from about 21% with either system to nearly 40% in the styrene—acrylonitrile system. The dispersed soHds confer increased load bearing and in the case of flexible molded foams also act as a ceU opener. 

The isocyanates used with rigid foam systems are either polymeric MDI or specialty types of TDI. Both contain various levels of polymerized isocyanate groups which contribute to molecular weight per cross-link and also may affect reactivity due to steric hindrance of some isocyanate positions. 

RigidPoly(vinylchloride) Foam. The techniques that have been used to produce rigid vinyl foams are similar to those for the manufacture of flexible PVC foams. The two processes that have reached commercial importance for the manufacture of rigid vinyl foams (246) are the Dynamit-Nobel extmsion process and the Kleber-Colombes Polyplastique process for producing cross-linked grafted PVC foams from isocyanate-modified PVC in a two-stage mol ding process. 

The Kleber-Colombes rigid PVC foam (253,254) is produced by compression mol ding vinyl plastisol to react and gel the compound, followed by steam expansion. The process involves mixing, mol ding, and expansion. The formulation consists of PVC, isocyanate, vinyl monomers such as styrene, anhydrides such as maleic anhydride, polymerization initiators, FC-11, and nucleators. The ingredients are mixed in a Wemer-Pfleiderer or a Baker Perkins... 

Methylenebis(4-phenyl isocyanate). This compound is also known as methyl diisocyanate [101-68-8] (MDI) and is produced by the condensation of aniline and formaldehyde with subsequent phosgenation. Its principal end use is rigid urethane foams other end uses include elastic fibers and elastomers. Total formaldehyde use is 5% of production (115). 

Commercially, polymeric MDI is trimerized duting the manufacture of rigid foam to provide improved thermal stabiUty and flammabiUty performance. Numerous catalysts are known to promote the reaction. Tertiary amines and alkaU salts of carboxyUc acids are among the most effective. The common step ia all catalyzed trimerizations is the activatioa of the C=N double boad of the isocyanate group. The example (18) highlights the alkoxide assisted formation of the cycHc dimer and the importance of the subsequent iatermediates. Similar oligomerization steps have beea described previously for other catalysts (61). 

Industrially, polyurethane flexible foam manufacturers combine a version of the carbamate-forming reaction and the amine—isocyanate reaction to provide both density reduction and elastic modulus increases. The overall scheme involves the reaction of one mole of water with one mole of isocyanate to produce a carbamic acid intermediate. The carbamic acid intermediate spontaneously loses carbon dioxide to yield a primary amine which reacts with a second mole of isocyanate to yield a substituted urea. 

Aromatic Isocyanates. In North America, aromatic isocyanates ate heavily used as monomers for addition and condensation polymers. The principal appflcafions include both flexible and rigid polyurethane foam and nonceUulat appflcations, such as coatings, adhesives, elastomers, and fibers. 

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