Foam insulation made with expandable microspheres and methods
AssigneeIP Rights, LLC
InventorsJoey Glorioso, James H. Burgess, Jiansheng Tang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A polyurethane and/or polyisocyanurate foam is made using expandable microspheres which encapsulate a primary blowing agent. By expanding during the foam making process, the microspheres function as a blowing agent. The foam preferably has at least 10% by weight expandable micro spheres which encapsulate a non-halogenated hydrocarbon chemical or a non-halogenated hydrocarbon chemical blend and less than 2% by weight of any non-encapsulated blowing agents.
Claims25
A polyurethane and/or polyisocyanurate rigid insulation foam made using expandable microspheres which encapsulate a primary blowing agent such that the microspheres are expanded during foam making to function as a blowing agent by mixing:
- 160 to 310 PBW expandable microspheres having an encapsultated blowing agent and an average unexpanded diameter less than 50 microns;
- 191 to 500 PBW isocyanate;
- 75 to 125 PBW polyol;
- and
- 14 to 201 PBW other ingredients with less than 2% by weight of non-encapsulated blowing agents.
A polyurethane and/or polyisocyanurate rigid insulation foam made using at least 10% by weight expandable microspheres which encapsulate a non-halogenated hydrocarbon chemical or a non-halogenated hydrocarbon chemical blend as a primary blowing agent by mixing:
- 160 to 310 PBW expandable microspheres having an encapsultated blowing agent and an average unexpanded diameter less than 50 microns;
- 191 to 500 PBW isocyanate;
- 75 to 125 PBW polyol;
- and
- 14 to 201 PBW other ingredients with less than 2% by weight of non-encapsulated blowing agents.
A polyurethane and/or polyisocyanurate rigid insulation foam made using expandable microspheres which encapsulate a blowing agent which microspheres are expanded in the resultant foam, by mixing:
- 160 to 310 PBW expandable microspheres having an encapsultated blowing agent and an average unexpanded diameter less than 50 microns;
- 191 to 500 PBW isocyanate;
- 75 to 125 PBW polyol;
- and
- 14 to 201 PBW other ingredients with less than 2% by weight of non-encapsulated blowing agents;
- wherein at least 30% of the microspheres have a first average unexpanded diameter with a standard deviation less than 3 microns and at least 30% of the microspheres have a second average unexpanded diameter with a standarddeviation less than 9 microns, said second diameter is at least 1.5 times greater than said first diameter and is between 10 and 200 microns.
A method for the manufacture of polyurethane and/or polyisocyanurate rigid insulation foam comprising:
- introducing 160 to 310 PBW expandable microspheres having an encapsultated blowing agent and an average unexpanded diameter less than 50 microns to the screw of an extruder;
- introducing 191 to 500 PBW of a isocyanate to the screw of the extruder;
- introducing 75 to 125 PBW of a polyol to the screw of the extruder;
- introducing 10 to 201 PBW other ingredients with less than 2% by weight of non-encapsulated blowing agents to the screw of the extruder;
- using the screw of the extruder to mix the expandable microspheres, isocyanate, polyol and other ingredients to and extruding the mixed ingredients in conjunction with mixing 1 to 12 PBW catalyst;
- and
- expanding the microspheres in the extruded mixture to produce rigid foam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.