Conductive polyurethane foam and process of contacting a polyurethane foam with a mixture of swelling agent and chemical additive
First Claim
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1. A process for modifying the electrical conductivity of a polyurethane foam comprising;
- (a) contacting the polyurethane foam with a mixture of a swelling agent for the polyurethane foam and an electrical conductivity increasing chemical additive, which is soluble or miscible in the swelling agent for a time sufficient to swell the foam to at least a ten percent increase in its original volume and interpenetrate the foam with the chemical additive,(b) shrinking the interpenetrated polyurethane foam by removing the swelling agent under conditions whereby at least 1%, by weight of the foam, of the chemical additive remains trapped in the polymeric structure of the polyurethane foam.
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Abstract
Polyurethane foam is modified by a post-treatment process comprising the steps of contacting the polyurethane foam with a swelling agent for the polyurethane foam and interpenetrating the swollen foam with a chemical additive, then shrinking the interpenetrated foam by removing the swelling agent under conditions where the chemical additive remains trapped in the polymeric structure of the foam.
23 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A process for modifying the electrical conductivity of a polyurethane foam comprising;
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(a) contacting the polyurethane foam with a mixture of a swelling agent for the polyurethane foam and an electrical conductivity increasing chemical additive, which is soluble or miscible in the swelling agent for a time sufficient to swell the foam to at least a ten percent increase in its original volume and interpenetrate the foam with the chemical additive, (b) shrinking the interpenetrated polyurethane foam by removing the swelling agent under conditions whereby at least 1%, by weight of the foam, of the chemical additive remains trapped in the polymeric structure of the polyurethane foam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A polyurethane foam having an electrical resistivity of 1×
- 1013 ohm-cm or less comprising polyurethane foam and at least about 1%, by weight of the polyurethane foam, of an electrical conductivity increasing chemical additive trapped in the polymeric structure of the polyurethane foam, where the chemical additive is soluble or miscible in a swelling agent for the polyurethane foam.
- View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An improved fuel tank having an electrical conductivity less than 1×
- 1013 ohm-cm comprising an outer shell to confine the fuel and having at least 35% of its volume filled with a polyurethane foam prepared by the process comprising;
(a) contacting a reticulated polyether-based polyurethane foam with a mixture of a swelling agent for the polyurethane foam and an electrical conductivity increasing chemical additive, which is soluble or miscible in the swelling agent, for a time sufficient to swell the foam to at least a ten percent increase in its original volume and interpenetrate the foam with the chemical additive, (b) shrinking the interpenetrated polyurethane foam by removing the swelling agent under conditions whereby at least 1%, by weight of the foam, of the chemical additive remains trapped in the polymeric structure of the polyurethane foam. - View Dependent Claims (21)
- 1013 ohm-cm comprising an outer shell to confine the fuel and having at least 35% of its volume filled with a polyurethane foam prepared by the process comprising;
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22. An improved fuel tank comprising an outer shell to combine fuel and having at least 35% of its volume filled with polyurethane foam, where the polyurethane foam has an electrical resistivity less than 1×
- 1013 ohm-cm.
Specification