Michael Allen Stanga

Design of a new silicone surfactant for flexible slabstock polyurethane foam

Requirements for silicone surfactants for flexible slabstock polyurethane foam are varied and demanding and consideration must be given to new requirements for high water formulations, low density formulations, emulsification of high water levels into different types of polyols, and mixing for continuous and discontinuous foam manufacturing processes. The demands of these formulations and processes are reviewed. Surfactant molecular structure versus performance results are presented in formulations typical of those used today by the slabstock industry. A new surfactant, DABCOO DC5188, has been developed to meet the diverse requirements of these systems. The performance of this surfactant is reported.