Rigid Polyurethane Foams

To illustrate some commonly encountered classification methods, a data set obtained from a series of polyurethane rigid foams will be used [76]. In this example, a series of 26 polyurethane foam samples were analyzed by NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The spectra of these foams are shown in Figure 12.16. Each of these foam samples belongs to one of four known classes, where each class is distinguished by... 

Chemometrics in Process Analytical Technology (PAT) 393 Table 12.8 Summary of the polyurethane rigid foam samples used to illustrate various classification methods... 

Polyurethane rigid foam is an excellent insulation material, particularly well suited for applications requiring high mechanical properties. In the form of laminated boards, they are applied on roofs, ventilated facades, ventilated double walls, masonry construction, single-wall masonry interior walls, floors and ceilings and for floor heating systems. 

Sandwich elements or composites with a core of polyurethane rigid foam are widely used for the construction of walls and fagades as well as for roofs of industrial buildings, warehouses, cold storage facilities, supermarkets, airports, sports facilities, school buildings, garage doors and so on (Sommerfeld, 1996). 

This book is part of the Kunstoff-Handbook series and has been translated horn the German. It has fifteen (15) chapters. Chapters particularly relevant to foams are Chapter 5— Flexible Foams, Chapter 6— Polyurethane Rigid Foams, and Chapter 7— Polyurethane In-tegral Skin Foams. The many authors are internationally known experts in the field of polyurethane technology. 

Polyurethane rigid foam insulation also can be applied as a spray system to a variety of surfaces. Retro-fitting commercial roofs as well as insulation of tanks and pipes has had increasing acceptance. The next decade will require even further conservation of energy in all manufacturing facilities, and provide an ideal market for sprayed rigid foam insulation. By the end of this decade, the demand for spray systems could readily double the current level. 

The polyurethane rigid foam usage will total about 223 million pounds in 1980 and is expected to increase to about 551 million pounds in 1990. Building and construction and domestic appliance applications account for the bulk of the usage. Construction... 

VdC/EA/MMA teipolymer (latex) Vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer Vinylidene chloride Vinylidene chloride/vinyl chloride copolymer Formaldehyde Vinyl chloride Epichlorbhydrin Polyvinyl chloride (latex) Polyvinyl chloride (general) Thermoplastic polyurethane Polycarbonate (flame resistant) Polyurethane flexible foam Polycarbonate (general) Polyurethane rigid foam Acrolein MDI Phosgene TDI... 

ANISTROPY OF THE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF POLYURETHANE RIGID FOAMS EXPANDED IN SITU. 

As mentioned previously, thermoplastic modifiers can form co-continuous structures, also called interpenetrating networks, with epoxy. Epoxies (51) have also been used to form interpenetrating networks (IPNs) with polyurethane foams. As compared with the polyurethane rigid foams only, the IPNs have significantly higher compressive modulus and strength. Since only one is seen for the mixture, the domain size in the IPN is very small. 

Over 85% of the production of aniline goes into the synthesis of MDI for polyurethane elastomers and polyurethane rigid foams. Therefore, MDI capacity increases are the driving force for aniline capacity increases. The big growth area now for MDI is with rigid foam production, used mainly in construction. Over one-half of MDI production is used to make rigid foams. 

Fan, X. and W. Xiao-Qing. 2009. Study on compress mechanical properties of reinforced polyurethane rigid foam. Fiber Reinf. Plast./Compos. 206 53-55. 

Narine, S. S., X. Kong, L. Bouzidi, and P. Spoms. 2007. Physical properties of polyurethanes produced from polyols from seed oils II. Foams. J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 84 65-72. Nikje, M. M. A. and Z. M. Tehrani. 2011. The effects of functionality of the organifier on the physical properties of polyurethane rigid foam/organified nanosilica. Design Mon. Polym. 14 263-272. 

Xie, H. and Z. Wang. 2005. In-site generating nano silicon dioxide and its effect as filler on properties of polyurethane rigid foam. Plast. Sci. Technol. 5 24-28. 

Polyurethane Foam. Polyurethane rigid foams (PUF) were first developed in the late thirties and used during the war to strengthen aircraft wings. Commercial use in different industries started only in the late fifties. The sprayed-in-place PUF roofing system was introduced in the early 1960s. 

Nikje MM A, Tehran ZM. Thermal and mechanical properties of polyurethane rigid foam/modified nanosilica composite. Polym Eng Sci 2010 50 468-73. 

In [75,76], a method of decomposition of polyurethane rigid foams is described, using EG, DEG, and polyoxypropylenated pentaerythritol (with a hydroxyl number of 170 mg KOH/g) mixed with ethanolamines (mono-, di- and triethanolamine). Various salts of metals, such as tin, iron, sodium, potassium, zinc, calcium, copper, and cobalt were used as catalysts. The process products can be used as raw materials for the production of polyurethane plastics. 

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