Production flexible urethane foam

The product is a hquid recommended for flame retarding flexible urethane foams in furniture or automotive seating. It also appears to be useful in polystyrene foam, textile backcoating, and polyester resins. 

Nonreactive additive flame retardants dominate the flexible urethane foam field. However, auto seating appHcations exist, particularly in Europe, for a reactive polyol for flexible foams, Hoechst-Celanese ExoHt 413, a polyol mixture containing 13% P and 19.5% Cl. The patent beHeved to describe it (114) shows a reaction of ethylene oxide and a prereacted product of tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate and polyphosphoric acid. An advantage of the reactive flame retardant is avoidance of windshield fogging, which can be caused by vapors from the more volatile additive flame retardants. 

In more recent years, molded flexible foam products are becoming more popular. The bulk of the molded flexible urethane foam is employed in the transportation industry, where it is highly suitable for the manufacture of seat cushions, back cushions, and bucket-seat padding. TDI prepolymers were used in flexible foam mol ding ia conjunction with polyether polyols. The introduction of organotin catalysts and efficient siHcone surfactants faciHtates one-shot foam mol ding, which is the most economical production method. 

This reaction is often employed in the production of flexible urethane foams, which are frequently block copolymers of polyether or polyester segments joined to polyurea segments. (The polyester or polyether segments terminate in urethane segments resulting from reaction of polyether or polyester hydroxyl end groups with the isocyanate.)... 

Classification. Flexibie urethane foams have the largest market of all polyurethane products. The production properties and applications of various flexible urethane foams are described in the following sections. Flexible urethane foams are defined as open-cell urethane foams having the property of complete recovery immediately after compression. They can be classified into two kinds, i.e., polyether foams and polyester foams. Polyether foams are further classified as follows conventional flexible foams, high-resilience flexible foams (HR foams), cold-molded foams, super-soft foams, and viscoelastic foams. 

Molded flexible urethane foams have been used for producing intricate foam products, such as automotive seats and furniture cushions. Molded foams are composed of high-density foam skin and low-density foam core. An example of density distribution of a 10-cm thick molded mattress foam is shown in Figure 9. 

Properties of Integral-Skin Flexible Urethane Foams. The foam densities of integral-skin foams of commercial products are in the range of about 300 to 950 kg/m and their Shore A hardnesses are in the range of about 90. Shore D hardnesses are about 40 to 90. Figure 13 shows an example of density distribution of integral-skin foams. 

Naugard PS-30 is a liquid amine antioxidant typically used with phenolic antioxidants, phosphites, and synergists in poly-ether polyols to inhibit physical/color scorch associated with the production of flexible urethane foam. 

Latin American Markets. Flexible polyurethane foam for premium as well as inexpensive mattresses has been the major growth market in most Latin American countries, and often represented 50% of the flexible demand. Growth prospects to 1990 are good as consumers upgrade some of their previous purchases, and increased market penetration is realized in some countries (e.g. Mexico) that have considerable potential. Furniture demand for flexible polyurethane foam is relatively modest compared to bedding end uses. Styling trends and the proliferation of small furniture producers have not opted for flexible urethane foam cushioning. Upholstered furniture demand will continue to be constrained by low consumer income, as well as small artisan production facilities. 

The growth in vaterbed production has had a positive impact on urethane foam demand. Boarder or dam components made from a firm, high density flexible urethane foam has bouyed foam consumption in bedding despite foams lack of growth in other bedding applications, i.e. foam cores and topper pads. 

The topper pad application for urethane receives strong competition from garneted cotton felt pads. The mattress industry continuously evaluates the relative cost and consumer acceptance of the two alternative padding materials. Utilization of flexible urethane foam and the relative share of the available topper pad volume appears to cycle with the competitive price pressures perceived to exist in the retail mattress market. When mattress prices weaken due to slack demand, mattress manufacturers appear willing to cut costs at the expense of consumer comfort and consequently shift a higher ratio of production to cotton felt. 

Tolnene-2,4-diisocyanate is one of the most extensively used isocyanates. It is nsed in the production of rigid and flexible urethane foams, elastomers, and coatings. In addition to its nse as a pure compound, it is commercially available as a mixture of... 

Outstanding properties reduce scorch associated with flexible urethane foam production ... 

Methylene chloride is a widely used chemical solvent with a diverse number of applications. It was introduced as a replacement for more flammable solvents over 60 years ago. Methylene chloride is commonly used in paint removers and industrial adhesive formulations. It also is employed in the production of flexible urethane foams, pharmaceutical products, and plastics, as a cleaning agent for fabricated metal parts, and as an extraction solvent. 

Not only are these reactions of importance in the development of the cross-linked polyurethane networks which are involved in the manufacture of most polyurethane products but many are now also being used to produce modified isocycuiates. For example, modified TDI types containing allophanate, urethane and urea groups are now being used in flexible foam manufacture. For flexible integral foams and for reaction injection moulding, modified MDIs and carbodi-imide MDI modifications cU"e employed. 

Several commercial products have resulted from our phosphorus oligomer research. Fyrol 99, a 2-chloroethyl ethylene phosphate oligomer, has been successfully used as a flame retardant additive in rebonded urethane foam, in thermoset resins, in intumes-cent coatings, adhesives, paper air filters (13), and related uses. This product is less volatile and has a higher flame retardant efficacy than the parent compound tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate. A related product was developed especially for use in flexible polyurethane foams. A vinylphosphonate/methylphospho-... 

CFCs. Table 6 shows major CFCs. CFC-11 has been the representative blowing agent for both flexible and rigid urethane foams (155). The use of CFCs brought significant advantages to both flexible and rigid polyurethane foams. However, ozone-depletion potential (ODP) in the stratosphere have led to the worldwide ban of the production and use of CFCs by 1995. 

The high flammability and toxic-gas generation of flexible and rigid urethane foams have been major problems in the urethane-foam industry, and accordingly considerable efforts have been focused on the production of substantially flame-retardant flexible foams. 

In 1991 Vandichel and Appleyard (15) described a new promising approach for the production of "soft" flexible slabstock urethane foam blown exclusively by COj generated by the water-isocyanate reaction. These workers found that by the addition to the formulation of certain hydrophilic materials a substantial hardness reduction is obtainable, thereby permitting a considerable reduction, or even total elimination, of CFC-11 from some "conventional" foam formulations. The hydrophilic additive is called CARAPOR 2001. An example is a foam produced with an ILD value of 80N at a density of 21.5 kg/m" (1.34 Ib/ft ) (15). 

The one-shot methods used to produce flexible polyurethane foams employ quick mixing of a (usually) triol-based polyether of fairly high-molecular weight with toluene diisocyanate, catalyst, and water for gas production (Eq. 21.19). The reaction of water with the diisocyanate rapidly raises the average functionality in the polymerizing system by forming urea, as well as urethane links (Eq. 21.23). 

The number of polymer structures that can be formed using the urethane reaction is quite large. There are ways to produce polyurethanes having different physical properties (see Polyurethanes in Chapter 4). If linear polyols are reacted with diisocyanates, a flexible polyurethane will be formed. If a low boiling liquid, such as Refrigerant-11 (R-11), is incorporated into the system, the heat of reaction will produce a cellular structure. The resulting product will be flexible polyurethane foam. 

Urethane foams n. Urethane in the form of rigid foam displays superior thermal insulating qualities, hard degree of hardness, mar resistance, flexibility, and good chemical resistance, when used as a coating resin. Urethane foams consist of about two-thirds of polyol. This allows urethane foams to produce pyrolysis products similar to those of diol or triol. 

Flexipol, Urethane foam systems. Flexible Products... 

Great Stuff, One-component urethane foam. Flexible Products Co. 

---