Gerhard Heilig

Pentane Blown Polyurethane Rigid Foams for Construction

Pentane as a blowing agent for polyurethane rigid foam has gained easy access to the European market. Initially introduced in the Double Conveyor Belt (DCB) production of laminate boards, its use spread to the introduction of metal sandwich panels and slabstock foam. Recently cyclopentane has been introduced as a blowing agent in the production of polyurethane foam for home appliances and construction. Today several plants run a full scale production of pentane blown polyurethane rigid foam. Pentane combines advantageous physical and technical properties with good environmental data. Being halogen free, pentane is safe for the ozone layer, and its contribution to the Global Warming Potential (GWP) is negligible

Aging Characteristics of Polyurethane Rigid Foam with Alternate Blowing Agents

The increasing replacement of perhalogenated chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by such alternate products as blowing agents for PU rigid foams is the main issue of today’s technical development. Essential criteria for this application are: environmental acceptance, availability, applicability, price and-last but not least-a good long term insulation capacity. The paper gives a survey of PU relevant physical characteristics of these products.