Blowing Agents For Polyurethane Foams

This review discusses the legal requirements and property specifications for blowing agents in different applications. Each type of blowing agent is described. Key environmental and physical properties are listed, together with advantages and limitations. Foams are described by types and by applications. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Polymer Library gives useful references for further reading.

This 7th international conference was dedicated to blowing agents and process technology for foamed plastics and rubber. These proceedings provide excellent coverage of the key topics of interest to the industry. There are a good variety of papers on innovations in foaming technology and new applications of blowing agents, with sessions on foaming polyurethane and thermoplastics. There is also a very interesting overview paper on environmental issues and new legislation affecting the industry, particularly in construction applications.

Handbook of Foaming and Blowing Agents, Second Edition includes the most current information on foaming technology, guiding users on the proper selection of formulation, which is highly dependent on the mechanisms of action of blowing agents and foaming agents, as well as dispersion and solubility. The book includes properties of 23 groups of blowing agents and the typical range of technical performance for each group, including general properties, physical-chemical properties, health and safety, environmental impact, and applications in different products and polymers. All information is illustrated by chemical reactions and diagrams. Chapters in the book look at foaming mechanisms with the use of solid blowing agents, which are decomposed to the gaseous products by application of heat, production of gaseous products by chemical reaction, and foaming by gases and evaporating liquids. Introduces the fundamental mechanisms of action of blowing agents and foaming Includes best practice guidance to help engineers and technicians improve the efficiency of their existing foaming processes Enables practitioners to select blowing agents and foaming methods more effectively, thus reducing the risk of poor specification Introduces useful analytical techniques for foaming Discusses the environmental impact of foaming processes

Foams are gas filled integral structures in which the gas is finely dispersed throughout acontinuouslyconnected solid phase. The bulk density is usually substantially lower than that of the solid component, and for the foams which form the focus for this book the volume fraction of the gas phase is considerably greater than 0.5 and in most instances in excess of 0.9. Many ofthe materials encountered in every day experience, such as bread, plants and trees, structural materials for buildings, comfort materials for domestic and automotive seating, shock absorbers or car bumpers and materials for noise control, have one thing in common - the cellular nature of their physical structure. Whyare thesestructuressoimportantin the naturaland man-made world? The reasons are both technical and commercial. From a technical viewpoint cellular materials offer: 1. high specific stiffness and strength - making them suitable for structural applications; 2. closeto idealenergymanagement - hencetheir useinthermalandacoustic insulation, vibration damping, acoustic absorption and shock mitigation; and 3. comfort - hence their use for domestic and automotive seating.

Flexible and viscoelastic polyurethane foams have enormous potential as viable business ventures and have replaced many traditional materials used in everyday life. This book describes the chemistry of flexible and viscoelastic polyurethane foams as well as calculations and formulating methodology for quality production. The author presents detailed information on foam manufacturing, based on over 45 years of hands-on industry experience.