VERFAHREN UND VORRICHTUNG ZUM SCHAEUMEN VON HOCHZAEHFLUESSIGEM POLYMERMATERIAL.

摘要

Polymer materials having viscosities ranging from about 50,000 up to above 1,000,000 centipoises are mixed with a gaseous foaming agent to provide a polymer/gas solution under pressure such that when the polymer/gas solution is subsequently dispensed at atmospheric pressure the gas is released from the solution and becomes entrapped in the polymeric material to form a homogeneous polymer foam. Mixing is accomplished by force feeding the gas and polymeric material into and through a low energy input disk mixer (14) with a low pressure drop across the mixer such that premature foaming or reaction of the polymeric material is avoided. The disk mixer includes a tubular housing (22), one or more driven shafts (24, 26) extending along the length of the housing, and a series of disks (48) spaced along the shafts. The foaming gas enters into solution in the polymer in the compartments between the rotating disks. The process is characterized in that relatively high viscosity polymeric materials are mixed with gas and foamed with relatively low horsepower requirements, high throughput and low temperature rise of the polymer from conversion of the work of mixing to heat.