Foaming agents containing liquid carbon dioxide

• US 6,303,667 B1
• Filed: 05/02/1997
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Solvay Fluor und Derivate GmbH (Solvac SA)
• Original Assignee: Solvay Fluor und Derivate
• Inventors: Kruecke, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): GORR, RACHEL F
• Application Number:
  US08/836,279
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 521/133, 521/131, 521/910, 521/917, 252/364, 252/67, 239/337, 264/53
• US Class Current: 521/131
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2203/12 Organic compounds only containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, e.g. ketone or alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2203/14 Saturated hydrocarbons, e.g. butane; Unspecified hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2203/142 Halogenated saturated hydrocarbons, e.g. H3C-CF3
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/122 Hydrogen, oxygen, CO2, nitrogen or noble gases
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/127 Mixtures of organic and inorganic blowing agents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 521/91 Plural blowing agents for producing nonpolyurethane cellular products
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 521/917 Specialized mixing apparatus utilized in cell forming process

Abstract

A blowing agent composition includes a blowing agent consisting of liquified carbon dioxide and 1,1-difluoroethane, or a mixture consisting of liquid carbon dioxide and at least one other liquid or pressure-liquified component selected from the group consisting of ethers with a total of 2 to 4 carbon atoms; ketones with 3 to 5 carbon atoms; alcohols with 1 to 5 carbon atoms; aliphatic hydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane; cyclic hydrocarbons with 3 to 12 carbon atoms; fluorohydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of trifluoromethane, 1,1,1-trifluoroethane, 1,1,2-trifluoroethane, 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane and 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane; phosphate esters and phosphonate esters containing three C1-C4-alkyl groups optionally substituted by one or more halogen atoms. The composition comprises 5 to 50% by weight of liquid carbon dioxide.

Claims

1. A blowing composition for producing foamed plastics or for producing one-component or two-component polyurethane foams from pressure-vessels, said composition consisting of a mixture of:

5 to 20% by weight of liquid carbon dioxide; and

at least one other liquid or pressure-liquified component selected from the group consisting of ethers with a total of 2 to 4 carbon atoms;

fluorohydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of 1,1,1-trifluoroethane, 1,1,2-trifluoroethane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane and 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane.

5. A method for the production of a one-component or two-component polyurethane foam, said method comprising discharging a pressurized mixture from a pressure vessel through a valve, said pressurized mixture comprising a polyurethane prepolymer having isocyanate groups and a blowing agent composition according to claim 1.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the blowing agent composition contains from 5 to 40% by weight of the total mixture of prepolymer and blowing agent composition.

7. A composition for producing a one-component or two-component polyurethane foam, said composition comprising a polyurethane prepolymer and blowing agent according to claim 1.

8. A device for producing a one-component or two-component polyurethane foam, said device comprising a pressure vessel containing a pressurized mixture comprising an isocyanate group-containing polyurethane prepolymer and a blowing agent composition according to claim 1, said pressure vessel having a valve for releasing the contents of the vessel.

9. A blowing composition according to claim 1, wherein a remainder to 100 wt. % of the blowing composition is the at least one other liquid or pressure-liquified component.

11. A blowing agent composition according to claim 1, wherein said composition contains 10 to 20% by weight of liquefied carbon dioxide.

12. A blowing agent composition according to claim 1, wherein said composition contains 10 to 20 parts by weight of liquefied carbon dioxide and 80 to 90 parts by weight of at least one liquid or pressure-liquefied physical blowing agent.

13. A method of producing a foamed plastic with the aid of a blowing agent, wherein the blowing agent is a liquid composition according to claim 1, which contains 5 to 20% by weight of liquefied carbon dioxide.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the blowing agent composition contains 10 to 20 parts by weight of liquefied carbon dioxide and 80 to 90 parts by weight of at least one liquid or pressure-liquefied blowing agent.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the foamed plastic is selected from the group consisting of foamed polyethylene, foamed polystyrene and foamed polyurethane.

17. A method for the production of a blowing agent composition according to claim 1, said method comprising admixing pressure-liquefied carbon dioxide with at least one further component which is a liquid or has been liquefied under pressure, so that the blowing agent composition contains 5 to 20% by weight of liquid carbon dioxide.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said at least one further component is a blowing agent.

2. A method for the production of a one-component or two-component polyurethane foam, said method comprising discharging a pressurized mixture from a pressure vessel through a valve, said pressurized mixture comprising:

a polyurethane prepolymer having isocyanate groups; and

a blowing agent composition consisting of a mixture of;

5 to 50% by weight of liquid carbon dioxide; and

at least one other liquid or pressure-liquified component selected from the group consisting of ethers with a total of 2 to 4 carbon atoms;

ketones with 3 to 5 carbon atoms;

alcohols with 1 to 5 carbon atoms;

aliphatic hydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane;

cyclic hydrocarbons with 3 to 12 carbon atoms;

fluorohydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of trifluoromethane, 1,1,1-trifluoroethane, 1,1,2-trifluoroethane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane and 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane.

10. A method according to claim 2, wherein said one-component or two-component polyurethane foam is a closed cell foam.

16. A method according to claim 2, wherein the blowing agent composition comprises from 5 to 40% by weight of the total mixture of prepolymer and blowing agent composition.

3. A composition for producing a one-component or two-component polyurethane foam, said composition comprising:

a polyurethane prepolymer; and

a blowing agent composition consisting of a mixture of;

5 to 50% by weight of liquid carbon dioxide; and

at least one other liquid or pressure-liquified component selected from the group consisting of ethers with a total of 2 to 4 carbon atoms;

ketones with 3 to 5 carbon atoms;

alcohols with 1 to 5 carbon atoms;

aliphatic hydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane;

cyclic hydrocarbons with 3 to 12 carbon atoms;

fluorohydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of trifluoromethane, 1,1,1-trifluoroethane, 1,1,2-trifluoroethane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane and 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane.

4. A device for producing a one-component or two-component polyurethane foam, said device comprising:

a pressure vessel containing a pressurized mixture comprising an isocyanate group containing polyurethane prepolymer and a blowing agent composition, said blowing agent composition consisting of a mixture of;

5 to 50% by weight of liquid carbon dioxide; and

at least one other liquid or pressure-liquified component selected from the group consisting of ethers with a total of 2 to 4 carbon atoms;

ketones with 3 to 5 carbon atoms;

alcohols with 1 to 5 carbon atoms;

aliphatic hydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane;

cyclic hydrocarbons with 3 to 12 carbon atoms;

fluorohydrocarbons selected from the group consisting of trifluoromethane, 1,1,1-trifluoroethane, 1,1,2-trifluoroethane, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane and 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane,

said pressure vessel having a valve for releasing the contents or the vessel.