Determination of the Blowing Agent Distribution in Rigid Polyurethane Foam

Abstract

The amount and distribution of blowing agent in rigid polyurethane foam were determined by several methods, which are described and compared. A method for solvent extraction with subsequent gas chromatographic analysis was developed and found to be advantageous for CFC-blown foam along with a combustion method (the Schoniger method), where the chloride ions formed were determined by titration. The solvent extraction method was successfully applied to blowing agents in CFC-free foams as well. Three methods involving heating and weight-loss determination were evaluated. They are easy to use, but corrections for thermal decomposition of the polymer are needed. About half of the total amount of CFC-11 in the investigated polyurethane foams from district heating pipes was found to be dissolved in the polymer matrix.

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