Hydrophobic Insulation Material

• US 20090061200A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tri-Star Plastics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tri-Star Plastics Corporation
• Inventors: Hild, Frank, Biering, David
• Application Number:
  US11/849,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20090061200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/304.400
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/62 Plasma-deposition of organic layers plasma deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2201/00 Polymeric substrate or laminate
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/365 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]

Abstract

A hydrophobic foam insulation material is formed from a foam core material and a hydrophobic surface layer that is covalently bonded to the core, and is fully conformal to the core foam material. The surface layer is applied in a plasma. The foam material may have further been subjected to a reticulation process involving a plasma to reduce the density of the foam. Such hydrophobic insulation material is thus made lightweight, flexible, and suitable for aircraft applications.

Claims

1. An insulation product comprising:

a foam core material; and

a hydrophobic surface layer fully conformal to the foam core material.

2. An insulation product according to claim 1, wherein said foam core material has been subjected to a reticulation process to decrease its density.

3. An insulation product according to claim 1 wherein said foam core material is a polyimide.

4. An insulation product according to claim 1 that is suitable for installation and use in an aircraft.

5. An insulation product according to claim 1 wherein said product is in the form of a sheet or a block.

6. An insulation product according to claim 1 wherein said hydrophobic surface layer has a contact angle between 110 and 130 degrees.

7. An insulation product according to claim 1, wherein said insulation product has a thermal resistivity between 22 and 26 m K/W, as measured by according to ASTM C518 at a mean temperature of 24°

C.

8. An insulation product according to claim 1, wherein said insulation product has a flame spread index between 1 and 3 as measured according to ASTM E162.

9. An insulation product according to claim 1, wherein said insulation product has a flammability of between 1 and 5, as measured by the specific optical density of smoke according to ASTM E662 under pyrolytic conditions.

10. An insulation product according to claim 1, wherein said insulation product has a flammability of between 1 and 5, as measured by the specific optical density of smoke according to ASTM E662 under flaming conditions.

11. An insulation product according to claim 1, wherein said surface layer is a polymeric layer that has a concentration of sulfur, silicon, or a fluorine in the range of 1.3 to 2.0.

12. An insulation product according to claim 1, wherein said surface layer comprises organosulfur, organosilicon or fluorine-containing compounds chemically bonded to the exterior of said foam core material.

13. An insulation product according to claim 1, wherein said hydrophobic surface layer has a thickness between 30 and 1000 angstroms.

14. An insulation product comprising:

a foam core material; and

a hydrophobic surface layer formed by exposing the foam core material to a plasma,

and wherein said plasma is formed from a gas comprising at least one organosilicon, organosulfur or fluorine-containing compound.

15. An insulation product according to claim 14 wherein said foam core material is a polyimide.

16. An insulation product according to claim 14, wherein said exposing the foam core material to a plasma is carried out by

a. holding the foam core material in a chamber;

b. evacuating the chamber to a reduced pressure;

c. introducing a gas into the chamber, where such gas comprises at least one organosulfur, organosilicon or fluorine-containing compound;

d. energizing the gas to form a plasma; and

e. exposing the foam core material to the plasma.

17. An insulation product according to claim 14, wherein said foam core material has been reticulated by

a. holding the foam core material in a chamber;

b. evacuating the chamber to a reduced pressure;

c. introducing a reticulation gas into the chamber, where such gas comprises oxygen;

d. energizing the gas to form a reticulation plasma; and

e. exposing the foam core material to the reticulation plasma.

18. An insulation product according to claim 14, wherein said plasma is formed from a gas comprising hydrogen or a noble gas in addition to at least one organosilicon, organosulfur or fluorine-containing compound.

19. An insulation product according to claim 14, wherein said plasma is formed from a gas comprising perfluorohexane and tetrafluoromethane.

20. An insulation product according to claim 14, wherein the foam core material was subjected to a reticulation process.

21. An insulation product according to claim 20, wherein the polyimide foam decreases in density by 20 to 30% compared to the polyimide foam core material, as measured by a segment with dimensions of 6″

by 6″

by 1″

.

22. A method for insulating a space with a hydrophobic insulation material, comprising:

a. receiving a segment of polyimide foam cut or shaped to the space to be insulated;

b. treating the segment using a plasma to form a hydrophobic surface layer on said segment;

c. providing the segment for installation into the space to be insulated.

23. A method for insulating a space according to claim 22, wherein the segment has been subjected to a reticulation process so as to cause the segment to decrease in density by 20 to 30% compared to the polyimide foam, as measured by a segment with dimensions of 6″

by 6″

by 1″

.

24. A method for insulating a space according to claim 22, wherein treating the segment using a plasma to form a hydrophobic surface layer comprises

a. holding the segment in a chamber;

b. evacuating the chamber to a reduced pressure;

c. introducing a gas into the chamber, where such gas comprises at least one organosulfur, organosilicon or fluorine-containing compound;

d. energizing the gas to form the plasma; and

e. exposing the segment to the plasma.

25. A method for insulating a space according to claim 22, wherein said space is the space between spacer members of an aircraft fuselage.