Process Economics Program Report 10D
Published: Dec-2002
Polyurethanes are among the most widely used and versatile
of all polymer forms, ranging from soft elastomers and foams to hard plastics.
Since the global phase-out of CFC's required by the Montreal Protocol to reduce
ozone depleting chemical emissions, a number of various alternative expansion
agents are now being used by the polyurethane manufacturing industry to produce
both cushion and insulation foam products. In addition, the U.S. EPA is attempting
to regulate U.S. manufacturers by the amount of blowing agent used per foam
grade.
The development and the diversification of many foam product foams and grades
has been evolving since the 1950's by pioneering researchers to learn how to
physically control the blowing chemistry to produce new products with different
machine techniques. Over many years, this art has been advanced by many other
scientists and engineers in multiple companies around the world. Since 1991
many new innovative formulation chemistries and manufacturing processes have
been developed for polyurethane foam product manufacturing that either reduce
or eliminate the use of ozone depleting blowing agents in the manufacture of
flexible and rigid foams. This report reviews new technologies developed since
our last report, with a focus on variable pressure polyurethane foam manufacturing
processing to produce flexible foam products without the direct use of blowing
agents. In addition, this report also reviews the use of alternative physical
blowing agents for the manufacture of rigid laminated boardstock to be used
as building construction insulation material. Two preliminary process economic
evaluations are presented for flexible and rigid foam product production based
on designs original to this report.
In addition this report presents a description of the fundamentals of foam formation,
provides guidelines and technical options for selecting non-ozone depletion
technologies, and reviews the current status and forecasts for production of
polyurethane foams by major world region.
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