Abstract
The introduction of liquid carbon dioxide foaming into the production of polyurethane foams a few years ago created a challenge for the whole industry. That is true for the equipment as well as for the raw material suppliers-and especially so for any additive supplier. The new foaming technology created a demand for processing conditions and ingredients that would meet the challenge of providing the additional nucleation required without sacrificing other important performance aspects. The important role of the surfactant used has been recognized even with the start of this future-shaping technology.
This alone justified a higher interest in the questions "How do the different structural parts of a surfactant molecule influence its performance?" and "Which structural pattern is useful for the controlled design of surfactant performance for the new level of nucleation needs?"
To keep other vital performance aspects, these structural patterns then have to be combined with the polydimethylsiloxane-polyether-copolymer structure of foam surfactants commonly utilized today which are mainly based on a combination of just three structural units: the methyl substituted siloxane backbone as well as a sophisticated combination of ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide forming the attached polyethers.
This paper will describe our work in the liquid carbon dioxide field and the resulting structure-performance relationships of flexible slabstock polyurethane foam surfactants. It will also link those structure-performance relationships to different possible applications like fr-or non-fr-foams. A number of building blocks will be introduced for the novel design of these performance additives. Especially in view of further industrial trends, these novel structural units should open up the possibility for new foam surfactants with adjusted and improved performance profiles.
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