Abstract
With the adoption of the Montreal Protocol last year, the search for al ternate blowing agents has intensified. HCFC-123 and HCFC-141b have been iden tified as two possible alternatives for CFC-11 in rigid foam applications. Although neither product is commercially available today, evaluations of both have begun in laboratories and on production equipment.
Performance of foams manufactured on production equipment will be discussed. HCFC-123 and HCFC-141b were run in typical polyurethane/polysocyanurate for mulations on production-scale laminate board equipment. Again, physical properties and thermal conductivities will be discussed and compared. Full-scale flammability test results (i.e., ASTM E-84 Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteris tics of Building Materials) will be discussed.
Despite the fact that HCFC-123 and HCFC-141b are not currently available to rigid foam manufacturers, this study gives good base line data on the performance of the two most promising alternate fluorocarbons to replace CFC-11 in the future. The studies demonstrate that either product is a viable blowing agent for the rigid foam industry.
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