Non-Isocyanate Rigid Polymer Foams by Carbon-Michael Addition and Foaming Process

摘要

Polymer foam is made from a two-component foam system. The foam system includes an A-side component which contains a multifunctional Michael acceptor and a blowing agent that has a boiling temperature in the range −40° C. to +100° C. The system also includes a B-side component that contains a multifunctional carbon-Michael donor, a surfactant and a blowing agent that has a boiling temperature in the range −40° C. to +100° C. The viscosities of each of the components are 2,500 cPs or lower. Foam is made by separately pressurizing the components, then separately depressurizing them so they each at least partially expand. The partially expanded materials are then combined in the presence of a carbon-Michael reaction catalyst to form a reaction mixture which is cured to form the polymer foam.

主权项

1. A process for making a polymer foam, comprising the steps of:
forming an at least partially expanded reaction mixture by combining, at a temperature of at least 10° C., (1) a multifunctional Michael acceptor that has multiple Michael acceptor functionalities per molecule with (2) a multifunctional carbon-Michael donor in the presence of (3) a surfactant, (4) a carbon-Michael reaction catalyst and (5) a blowing agent composition containing a blowing agent that has a boiling temperature in the range −40° C. to +100° C., dispensing the partially expanded reaction mixture and curing the dispensed reaction mixture to form a polymer foam, wherein the at least partially expanded reaction mixture is formed by: (a) forming a pressurized A-side component comprising the multifunctional Michael acceptor and, dissolved in the A-side component, a blowing agent composition containing a blowing agent that has a boiling temperature in the range −40° C. to +100° C.; wherein the A-side component has a Brookfield viscosity of 5,000 centipoises or less at 25° C.; (b) separately forming a pressurized B-side component comprising the multifunctional carbon-Michael donor, the surfactant and, dissolved in the B-side component, a blowing agent composition containing a blowing agent that has a boiling temperature in the range −40° C. to +100° C.; wherein the B-side component has a Brookfield viscosity at 25° C. from 0.2 to 5 times that of the A-side component but not greater than 2,500 centipoises; (c) separately depressurizing the pressurized A-side component and the pressurized B-side component such that the A-side component and the B-side component each at least partially expand due to expansion of the blowing agent composition; (d) combining the at least partially expanded A-side component and the at least partially expanded B-side component in the presence of the carbon-Michael reaction catalyst to form the reaction mixture.