The present invention relates to processes for forming flexible polyurethane foams more in particular low-density flexible polyurethane foams with mainly open cells and low air flow resistivities, said processes being characterized as foaming processes avoiding the use of water as blowing agent and having a low exotherm during foaming thereby reducing the risk of scorching during production.
The present invention further relates to reactive mixtures for making the flexible polyurethane foams according to the invention.
The present invention also relates to flexible polyurethane foams more in particular low-density polyurethane flexible foams with mainly open cells and low air flow resistivities having a density in the range 12 up to 50 kg/m3 which are less friable, more stiff and more temperature stable than the water-blown low density flexible polyurethane foams.
Furthermore, the invention is related to the use of flexible polyurethane foams for sound absorption and/or sound insulation, more in particular in automotive applications.
Conventional flexible polyurethane foams with an open-cell structure are typically chemically blown using water, giving rise to high foaming exotherms with the formation of urea-rich hardblocks which also have poor temperature stability, degrading at relatively low temperature. Furthermore, water-blown flexible polyurethane foams especially those based on polyether polyols as soft blocks are known for their risk of scorching during production, especially when the exotherm is high (in the range 150-200° C.) and when the core foam temperature remains elevated for extended periods. These two traits of conventional water-blown open cell flexible polyurethane foams have therefore a serious impact on the final foam properties, significantly limiting their range of attractive potential industrial applications.
A number of solutions already exist to prevent foam scorching but are not always practical depending on the targeted application and foam properties.
One of these solutions in the state of the art involves significant reformulation work of the reactive mixture used to make the flexible polyurethane foams. For example, incorporation of more thermally stable raw materials such as replacing polyether polyols by polyester polyols.
Another solution in the state of the art involves reducing the reaction exotherm from ongoing chemical reactions during foaming by means of reducing the overall OH value of the polyol blend, but that often results in reduced foam strength.
Other state of the art solutions involve the replacement of water as blowing agent by physical blowing agents, pre-polymerizing the isocyanate or cooling down the foams quickly after production.
Another straightforward solution involves the use of lower water levels but that obviously increases foam density.
Also known in the state of the art is the addition of additives to the reactive mixture such as anti-scorching agents (e.g. antioxidants . . . ).
To solve the above problems, there is a need to produce low density (being below 50 kg/m3) flexible polyurethane foams having a predominantly open-cell structure which have a low exotherm during foaming thereby reducing the risk of scorching during production and at the same time which retain good sound insulation properties with improved mechanical and thermal properties such as being less friable, more stiff and more temperature stable compared to the water-blown foam counterparts.
The ultimate goal would be to achieve a low density mainly open cell polyurethane flexible or semi-rigid foam which:
Furthermore the flexible polyurethane foams according to the invention have a suitable level of air flow and cell openness (having an open-cell content at least 80% by volume, preferably 90 to 95% by volume calculated on the total volume of the foam and measured according to ASTM D6226-10) which makes them suitable for use in applications wherein good sound absorption and/or sound insulation are required.
It is a further object of the present invention to develop a reactive mixture and a method for making the flexible or semi-rigid polyurethane foams having a predominantly open-cell structure and significantly improved mechanical and thermal properties.
In the context of the present invention the following terms have the following meaning:
In other words, the NCO-index expresses the percentage of isocyanate actually used in a formulation with respect to the amount of isocyanate theoretically required for reacting with the amount of isocyanate-reactive hydrogen used in a formulation.
The present invention discloses low density (<100 kg/m3) flexible polyurethane foams with a predominantly open-cell structure (open-cell content of at least 50% by volume, preferably at least 80%, more preferably in the range 90-95% based on the total volume of the foam) which have a low exotherm during foaming.
Therefore, the present invention discloses a reactive mixture for making a low density polyurethane and/or polyisocyanurate comprising flexible foam having an apparent density below 100 kg/m3 and a predominantly open-cell structure (open-cell content of ≥50% by volume calculated on the total volume of the foam and measured according to ASTM D6226-10), said reactive mixture comprising mixing at an isocyanate index of at least 200 following ingredients to form a reactive mixture:
The use of the reaction mixture according to the invention gives rise to a foaming process with a low reaction exotherm (<120° C., preferably <110° C., more preferably <100° C.) during foaming. As a result, these foams are much less likely to undergo scorching when produced on larger industrial scale. Additionally, the presence of at least one carbodiimide forming catalyst gives rise to better foam properties such as less friable, more stiff and more temperature stable.
According to embodiments, the reactive mixture contains less than <1 wt %, preferably less than 0.75 wt %, more preferably less than 0.5 wt %, and even more preferably less than 0.25 wt % water calculated on the total weight of the reactive mixture.
According to embodiments, the ingredients b) up to e) are first combined and then reacted with the polyisocyanate composition.
According to embodiments, the foams may be made according to a free rise process, a moulding process, a slabstock process, a lamination process or spray process.
The ingredients may be fed independently to the mixing head of a foaming machine. Preferably the polyols, the catalysts and the optional ingredients are premixed before they are mixed with the polyisocyanate.
According to embodiments, the densities of the foams may range from 12 to 80 kg/m3, preferably from 12 to 65 kg/m3 and more preferably from 12 to 50 kg/m3.
According to embodiments, the low density flexible foam according to the invention is a free rise flexible foam having densities <50 kg/m3, preferably <35 kg/m3, more preferably <20 kg/m3.
According to embodiments, the low density flexible foam according to the invention is a sprayed foam using state of the art spray technology for polyurethane foaming.
According to embodiments, the process for making the low density flexible foam according to the invention comprises at least the steps of:
According to embodiments, the step of mixing of the polyisocyanate composition with the pre-mixed (isocyanate reactive) composition obtained in step i) to form a reactive mixture is performed using a 2-component high pressure mixing system.
According to embodiments, the step of mixing of the polyisocyanate composition with the pre-mixed (isocyanate reactive) composition obtained in step i) to form a reactive mixture is performed using a 2-component dynamic mixing system.
According to embodiments, no external heat is added to the reactive mixture, the reaction exotherm is sufficient to obtain a foamed structure.
According to embodiments, the method for making the flexible foam according to the invention is performed at an isocyanate index higher than 200, preferably higher than 300, more preferably higher than 400, even more preferably in the range 500-2000 and most preferably in the range 800-1500.
According to embodiments, the low density flexible foam according to the invention has an open-cell content of ≥50% by volume, preferably ≥60% by volume, more preferably ≥75% by volume, even more preferably ≥90% by volume calculated on the total volume of the foam and measured according to ASTM D6226-10.
According to embodiments, the carbodiimide forming catalyst is a phospholene oxide compound, preferably selected from 1-methyl-1-oxophospholene, 1-ethyl-1-oxophospholene, 1-butyl-1-oxophospholene, 1-(2-ethylhexyl)-1-oxophospholene, 1-methyl-1-thiophospholene, 1-(2-chloroethyl)-1-oxophospholene, 1-phenyl-1-oxophospholene, 1-p-tolyl-1-oxophospholene, 1-chloromethyl-1-oxophospholene, 1,3-dimethyl-1-oxophospholene, 1,2-dimethyl-1-oxophospholene, 1-methyl-3-chloro-1-oxophospholene, 1-methyl-3-bromo-1-oxophospholene, 1-chlorophenyl-1-oxophospholene, 1,3,4-trimethyl-1-oxophospholene, 1,2,4-trimethyl-1-oxophospholene, 1,2,2-trimethyl-1-oxophospholene, 1-phenyl-1-thiophospholene, 1-phenyl-3-methyl-1-oxophospholene, 1-phenyl-2,3-dimethyl-1-oxophospholene, mixtures thereof and the like.
Especially preferred carbodiimide forming catalyst include the isomers of 1-methyl-1-oxophospholene, 1-ethyl-1-oxophospholene, 1-propyl-1-oxophospholene, or mixtures thereof seen their compatibility with polyurethane-forming compositions.
The carbodiimide forming catalyst is used in a catalytic quantity sufficient to promote the formation of carbodiimide linkages within the polymer.
According to embodiments, the amount of carbodiimide forming catalyst is in the range up to 5 wt %, preferably up to 4 wt %, more preferably up to 3 wt %, and even more preferably up to 2 wt % based on total weight of the reactive mixture. Advantageously, the quantity of carbodiimide forming catalyst is in the range 0.5 wt % up to 3 wt %, preferably in the range 1 wt % to 2.5 wt % based on total weight of the reactive mixture.
According to embodiments, the catalyst composition comprises at least a carbodiimide forming catalyst compound in an amount of at least 50 wt %, preferably in an amount of at least 75 wt %, more preferably in an amount of at least 90 wt % based on the total weight of all catalyst compounds in the catalyst composition.
According to embodiments, the at least one polyurethane forming catalyst is a gelling and/or blowing catalyst and preferably selected from metal salt catalysts, such as organotins, and amine compounds, such as triethylenediamine (TEDA), N-methylimidazole, 1,2-dimethylimidazole, N-methylmorpholine, N-ethylmorpholine, triethylamine, N,N′-dimethylpiperazine, 1,3,5-tris(dimethylaminopropyl)hexahydrotriazine, 2,4,6-tris(dimethylaminomethyl)phenol, N-methyldicyclohexylamine, pentamethyldipropylene triamine, N-methyl-N′-(2-dimethylamino)-ethyl-piperazine, tributylamine, pentamethyldiethylenetriamine, hexamethyltriethylenetetramine, heptamethyltetraethylenepentamine, dimethylaminocyclohexylamine, pentamethyldipropylene-triamine, triethanolamine, dimethylethanolamine, bis(dimethylaminoethyl)ether, tris(3-dimethylamino)propylamine as well as any mixture thereof. The polyurethane forming catalyst compound should be present in the reactive composition in a catalytically effective amount. Commercially available blowing and gelling catalysts are Jeffcat® DPA (typical gelling catalyst), Jeffcat® ZF10 (typical blowing catalyst), Jeffcat® Z130 (typical gelling catalyst), Dabco® NE300 (typical blowing catalyst), Dabco® NE1091 (typical gelling catalyst) and Dabco® NE1550 (typical gelling catalyst).
According to embodiments, the at least one polyisocyanurate forming catalyst (also referred to as trimerization catalyst) is selected from organic salts, preferably from alkali metal, earth alkali metal and/or quaternary ammonium organic salts such as potassium acetate, potassium hexanoate, potassium ethylhexanoate, potassium octanoate, potassium lactate, N-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium octanoate, N-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium formate and mixtures thereof.
According to embodiments, the total amount of polyurethane and/or polyisocyanurate forming catalyst in the catalyst composition according to the invention is in the range 0-3 wt %, preferably in the range 0-2 wt %, more preferably in the range 0.1-1.5 wt % based on the total weight of the reactive mixture.
According to embodiments, the total amount of catalyst compounds in the catalyst composition according to the invention is in the range 0.5 wt %-5 wt %, preferably in the range 1 wt %-4 wt %, more preferably in the range 1 wt %-3 wt % based on the total weight of the reactive mixture.
According to embodiments, no physical blowing agents are added to the reactive mixture.
According to embodiments, a blowing agent composition may be added to the reactive mixture, said blowing agent composition comprising physical blowing agents and/or non isocyanate-reactive chemical blowing agents thereby avoiding the use of isocyanate-reactive chemical blowing agents such as water.
According to embodiments, a blowing agent composition may be added to the reactive mixture. In case the reactive mixture comprises water, the water content should be less than 1 wt % water, preferably less than 0.75 wt % water, more preferably less than 0.5 wt %, and even more preferably less than 0.25 wt % calculated on the total weight of the reactive mixture.
In preferred embodiments no water as reactive chemical blowing agent having isocyanate reactive group is added to the reactive mixture used to make the low density flexible foam according to the invention.
According to embodiments, a blowing agent composition may be added to the reactive mixture, said blowing agent composition comprising physical blowing agents. Suitable physical blowing agents may be selected from isobutene, methylformate, dimethyl ether, methylene chloride, acetone, t-butanol, argon, krypton, xenon, chloro fluoro carbons (CFCs), hydro fluoro carbons (HFCs), hydro chloro fluoro carbons (HCFCs), hydro fluoro olefins (HFO's), Hydro Chloro Fluoro Olefins (HCFO's), and hydrocarbons such as pentane, isopentane and cyclopentane and mixtures thereof.
According to embodiments, a blowing agent composition may be added to the reactive mixture, said blowing agent composition comprising physical blowing agents selected from at least CO2 and/or N2.
According to embodiments, a blowing agent composition may be added to the reactive mixture, said blowing agent composition comprising physical blowing agents selected from at least HFO blowing agents and/or HCFO blowing agents. Preferred examples of commercially available suitable HFO blowing gases are Honeywell HFO-1234ze (Honeywell's trade name for trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene) or Opteon® 1100 (Chemours' trade name for cis-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobut-2-ene, CF3CH═CHCF3). A preferred example of a commercially available suitable HCFO blowing gas is Honeywell Solstice® 1233zd (Honeywell's trade name for trans-1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, CHCl═CHCF3) or Forane® 1233zd (Arkema's trade name for trans-1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, CHCl═CHCF3).
According to embodiments, a blowing agent composition may be added to the reactive mixture, said blowing agent composition comprising non isocyanate-reactive chemical blowing agents. Suitable examples include but are not limited to 1,1′-azobisformamide, sodium bicarbonate, p-toluene sulfonyl hydrazide, 4,4′-oxybis(benzenesulfonyl)hydrazine and p-toluenesulfonylsemicarbazide.
According to embodiments, the amount of blowing agents (optionally) added in the reactive mixture can vary based on, for example, the intended use and application of the foam product and the desired foam stiffness and density.
According to embodiments, a blowing agent composition may be added to the reactive mixture, said blowing agent composition and the amount of blowing agents used in the reactive mixture is in the range 5 to 60 parts by weight, more preferably from 10 to 30 parts by weight per hundred weight parts isocyanate reactive compounds (polyol) in order to produce a low density flexible foam having a density <100 kg/m3, densities in the range 10-90 kg/m3, densities from 12-80 kg/m3 and preferably 12-65 kg/m3 and most preferably 12-50 kg/m3.
According to embodiments, the polyisocyanates are selected from difunctional isocyanates (diisocyanates), preferably selected from aliphatic diisocyanates selected from hexamethylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, methylene dicyclohexyl diisocyanate and cyclohexane diisocyanate and/or from aromatic diisocyanates selected from toluene diisocyanate (TDI), naphthalene diisocyanate, tetramethylxylene diisocyanate, phenylene diisocyanate, toluidine diisocyanate and, in particular, diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI).
According to embodiments, the polyisocyanate composition used in the process of the present invention contains mixtures of 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate with one or more other organic diisocyanates, especially other diphenylmethane diisocyanates, for example the 2,4′-isomer optionally in conjunction with the 2,2′-isomer.
According to embodiments, the polyisocyanate compounds in the polyisocyanate composition may also be isocyanate-terminated prepolymer which is prepared by reaction of an excessive amount of the polyisocyanate with a suitable polyol in order to obtain a prepolymer having the indicated NCO value. Methods to prepare prepolymers have been described in the art. The relative amounts of polyisocyanate and polyol depend on their equivalent weights and on the desired NCO value and can be determined easily by those skilled in the art. The NCO value of the isocyanate-terminated prepolymer is preferably above 5 wt %, more preferably above 10%, most preferably above 15 wt %.
According to embodiments, the isocyanate reactive composition comprises high molecular weight isocyanate reactive compounds (polyols) selected from polyether, polyester and/or polyether-polyester polyols. Preferably said high molecular weight polyols have a molecular weight in the range 500-20000 g/mol, more preferably in the range 500 g/mol up to 10000 g/mol, more preferably in the range 500 g/mol up to 5000 g/mol, most preferably in the range 650 g/mol up to 4000 g/mol. Suitable high molecular weight polyols have molecular weights of 650 g/mol, 1000 g/mol and 2000 g/mol.
Suitable high molecular weight polyols which may be used in the isocyanate reactive composition include hydroxyl-terminated reaction products of dihydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, neopentyl glycol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,6-hexanediol or cyclohexane dimethanol or mixtures of such dihydric alcohols, and dicarboxylic acids or their ester-forming derivatives, for example succinic, glutaric and adipic acids or their dimethyl esters, sebacic acid, phthalic anhydride, tetrachlorophthalic anhydride or dimethyl terephthalate or mixtures thereof polycaprolactones and unsaturated polyesterpolyols should also be considered. Polyesteramides may be obtained by the inclusion of aminoalcohols such as ethanolamine in polyesterification mixtures.
According to embodiments, the isocyanate reactive composition comprises at least one low molecular weight isocyanate reactive compound (chain extender) having a molecular weight <500 g/mol, preferably a molecular weight in the range 45 up to 500 g/mol, more preferably in the range 50 up to 250 g/mol.
Suitable chain extenders in the isocyanate composition include diols, such as aliphatic diols like ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,8-octanediol, 1,9-nonanediol, 1,10-decanediol, 1,12-dodecanediol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 2,3-butanediol, 1,3-pentanediol, 2-ethyl-butanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, 1,2-octanediol, 1,2-decanediol, 3-methylpentane-1,5-diol, 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-hexanediol, 3-chloro-propanediol, 1,4-cyclohexanediol, 2-ethyl-2-butyl-1,3-propanediol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol and tripropylene glycol and 1,4′-butylenediol and cyclohexane dimethanol.
Further suitable chain extenders include aminoalcohols such as ethanolamine, N-methyldiethanolamine and the like, diamines, hydrazines, triazines such as caprinoguanamine (6-Nonyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) and hydrazides and mixtures thereof.
According to embodiments, the isocyanate reactive composition might further comprise solid polymer particles such as styrene-based polymer particles. Examples of styrene polymer particles include so-called “SAN” particles of styrene-acrylonitrile. Alternatively small amounts of polymer polyols may be added as an additional polyol in the isocyanate reactive composition. An example of a commercially available polymer polyol is HYPERLITE® Polyol 1639 which is a Polyether polyol modified with a styrene-acrylonitrile polymer (SAN) with a solid content of approximately 41 wt % (also referred to as polymer polyol).
According to embodiments, the reactive mixture and/or isocyanate reactive composition may comprise fillers such as wood chips, wood dust, wood flakes, wooden plates; paper and cardboard, both shredded or layered; sand, vermiculite, clay, cement and other silicates; ground rubber, ground thermoplastics, ground thermoset materials; honeycombs of any material, like cardboard, aluminium, wood and plastics; metal particles and plates; cork in particulate form or in layers; natural fibers, like flax, hemp and sisal fibers; synthetic fibers, like polyamide, polyolefin, polyaramide, polyester and carbon fibers; mineral fibers, like glass fibers and rock wool fibers; mineral fillers like BaSO4 and CaCO3; nanoparticles, like clays, inorganic oxides and carbons; glass beads, ground glass, hollow glass beads; expanded or expandable beads; untreated or treated waste, like milled, chopped, crushed or ground waste and in particular fly ash; woven and non-woven textiles; and combinations of two or more of these materials.
According to embodiments, other conventional ingredients (additives and/or auxiliaries) may be used in making the flexible foam according to the invention. These include surfactants, flame proofing agents, fillers, pigments, stabilizers and the like. Suitable surfactant may be selected from silicon surfactants such as commercially available Tegostab® B8494, Tegostab® B8466 and Tegostab® B8416.
All reactants can be reacted at once or can be reacted in a sequential manner. By prior mixing all or part of the isocyanate-reactive compounds solutions or suspensions or dispersions are obtained. The various components used in the manufacture of the compositions of the invention can in fact be added in any order. The process can be selected from a bulk process, either batch or continuous process including cast process.
According to embodiments, the low density flexible foam according to the invention is a low density foam with a predominantly open-cell structure having
According to embodiments, the low density flexible foam according to the invention is a low density foam with a predominantly open-cell structure having typical values of an acoustic flexible foams such as:
The invention is illustrated with the following examples.
All foams were produced under free rise conditions by mixing under high shear with a Heidolph Mixer (˜2000 rpm) the isocyanate with the polyol-rich blend (prepared beforehand) for 10 s followed by the catalyst-containing blend (prepared beforehand) for 10 s, then pouring the resulting foaming mixture in a 20×20×20 cm3 wooden mold. Examples 1 and 2 are according to the invention, comparative example 1 is not according to the invention. All foams were stored in the fumehood overnight before being cut and characterized.
The start of mixing all ingredients together (isocyanate+polyol-rich blend+catalyst-containing blend) is set at zero. Cream time (CT) is defined as when the mixture starts to foam. Tack free time (TFT) is defined as when the surface of the foam stops being tacky to the touch. End of rise time (ERT) is defined as when the foam reaches its maximum height.
Quality open cell flexible foams with fine cells were obtained. Despite somewhat slower foaming kinetics and higher foam densities compared to Comparative Example 1, exotherms in the examples according to the invention (Examples 1 and 2) were dramatically reduced, with a maximum temperature reduction of more than 60° C. As a result, these foams are much less likely to undergo scorching when produced on larger industrial scale. Carbodiimide formation in the presence of the phospholene oxide catalyst was evidenced by the presence of an intense peak in FTIR spectra at ˜2100 cm−1 (
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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21178735.3 | Jun 2021 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2022/065229 | 6/3/2022 | WO |