Cellular forming agent in resinous systems and resulting products

A resinous article having cellular voids produced by gas,

• said article formed by dispersing a blowing agent consisting essentially of an organic isocyanate and an organic hydroperoxide in reactive quantities in a base mass of synthetic resin composition,
• allowing said isocyanate and hydroperoxide to react while said resin composition is in a fluid state, to produce carbon dioxide gas,
• initiating curing of said composition, with the composition formulated so the gas-producing reaction occurs before the gellation stage that would restrain expansion is reached, enabling the formation of a distribution of said cellular voids throughout said composition, said curing proceeding to completion in a manner substantially maintaining said distribution of cellular voids throughout the cured composition,
• the reactants being substantially free of water and other ingredients reactive with said isocyanate such that the preponderant gas-evolving reaction with said isocyanate is the reaction of said isocyanate with said organic hydroperoxide,
• said article being substantially free of urea linkages and containing amine oxide as the reaction product of said isocyanate and organic hydroperoxide.

The method of producing a cured cellular resin composition comprising dispersing in a fluid uncured resin composition a curing agent and, in addition, a blowing agent consisting essentially of an organic isocyanate and an organic hydroperoxide in reactive quantities as a cell producing agent,

• the curing agent adapted during cure to cause said resin to pass through a gellation stage before reaching a solid, cured state,
• all ingredients in said dispersion being substantially free of water and of other ingredients reactive with said isocyanate such that the preponderant gas-evolving reaction with said isocyanate will be the reaction of said isocyanate and said organic hydroperoxide,
• controlling the conditions of the gas-evolving reaction of said isocyanate and organic hydroperoxide and said curing reaction to provide a predetermined period of induction between said step of dispersing said ingredients and said gas evolving reaction and to cause said isocyanate and organic hydroperoxide to react to produce carbon dioxide dispersed in cellular voids through said composition prior to the gellation stage of said curing reaction,
• and allowing the curing reaction to proceed to completion in a manner to substantially maintain distribution of cellular voids throughout the cured composition.