# US 4,394,288 A · Activated ammonium nitrate plastic foam blowing agent

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- Number: US 4,394,288 A
- Document ID: US4394288A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/351,849
- Filed: 1982-02-25
- Granted: 1983-07-19
- Earliest claimed: 1981-04-06
- Assignees: The Dow Chemical Company
- Inventors: Sambasiva R. Allada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4394288A

## CPC

- C08J 9/06: by a chemical blowing agent
- Y10S 264/05: Use of one or more blowing agents together
- Y10S 521/909: Blowing-agent moderator, e.g. kickers
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

Ammonium nitrate activated or catalyzed with certain chromium compounds provides an excellent, low cost blowing or expanding agent(s) for many foamable polymers, including polyethylene(s), polystyrene(s), etc.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A blowing agent system for foaming expandable resinous thermoplastic material masses, comprising an intimate, generally "fluffy" and finely divided powder composition of:
(a) ammonium nitrate; and
(b) up to about 10 parts per hundred by weight, based on total composition weight, of a chromium compound selected from the group consisting of: inorganic and organic salts of chromium; oxides of chromium excepting the crystalline sesquioxide but including amorphous forms thereof; and mixtures of same;
said composition having an average particle size range on the order of between about 1/2 and about 50 microns;
(c) up to about 4 percent by weight, based on total composition weight of a surfactant or soap additament.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the average particle size range thereof is between about 10 and about 20.mu..

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1 and including, in addition thereto and combination therewith
(d) up to about 25 weight percent of an inorganic pigment filler additament.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1 and including, in addition thereto and combination therewith:
between about 1/4 and about 25 weight percent of a mixture of
(c) a surfactant or soap additament; and
(d) an inorganic pigment filler additament, wherein
said surfactant or soap additament constitutes not more than about one-fifth (1/5th) of the weight of said additaments mixture.