Blowing agent compositions for insulating foams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019367697-A1
Application number	US-201916425359-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 29, 2019
Priority date	May 29, 2018
Publication date	Dec 5, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed is a blowing agent composition comprising a hydrofluoroolefins (HFO) and a branched hydrocarbon, and a foamable polymer composition comprising the blowing agent composition. Also disclosed is a method of making a polymer foam utilizing a blowing agent composition comprising an HFO and a branched hydrocarbon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A blowing agent composition for polymer foam, comprising:
a) a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) blowing agent, and b) a branched hydrocarbon co-blowing agent,
wherein the blowing agent composition contains essentially no water.

2 . The blowing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein the HFO blowing agent is selected from the group consisting of: 3,3,3-trifluoropropene (HFO-1243zf); 2,3,3-trifluoropropene; (cis and/or trans)-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234ze); 1,1,3,3-tetrafluoropropene; 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf); (cis and/or trans)-1,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropene (HFO-1225ye); 1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoropropene (HFO-1225zc); 1,1,2,3,3-pentafluoropropene (HFO-1225yc); hexafluoropropene (HFO-1216); 2-fluoropropene, 1-fluoropropene; 1,1-difluoropropene; 3,3-difluoropropene; 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-butene; 2,4,4,4-tetrafluoro-1-butene; 3,4,4,4-tetrafluoro-1-butene; octafluoro-2-pentene (HFO-1438); 1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoro-2-methyl-1-propene; octafluoro-1-butene; 2,3,3,4,4,4-hexafluoro-1-butene; 1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene (HFO-1336m/z); 1,2-difluoroethene (HFO-1132); 1,1,1,2,4,4,4-heptafluoro-2-butene; 3-fluoropropene, 2,3-difluoropropene; 1,1,3-trifluoropropene; 1,3,3-trifluoropropene; 1,1,2-trifluoropropene; 1-fluorobutene; 2-fluorobutene; 2-fluoro-2-butene; 1,1-difluoro-1-butene; 3,3-difluoro-1-butene; 3,4,4-trifluoro-1-butene; 2,3,3-trifluoro-1-butene; 1,1,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-butene; 1,4,4,4-tetrafluoro-1-butene; 3,3,4,4-tetrafluoro-1-butene; 4,4-difluoro-1-butene; 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-butene; 2,4,4,4-tetrafluoro-1-butene; 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoro-2-butene; 1,1,4,4,4-pentafluoro-1-butene; 2,3,3,4,4-pentafluoro-1-butene; 1,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluoro-1-butene; 1,1,2,3,4,4,4-heptafluoro-1-butene; 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-propene; and combinations thereof.

3 . The blowing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein the branched hydrocarbon co-blowing agent is selected from the group consisting of: isobutane; isopentane; neopentane; isohexane; 3-methylpentane; 2,3-dimethylbutane; neohexane; isoheptane; 3-methylhexane; 2,2-dimethylpentane; 2,3-dimethylpentane; 2,4-dimethylpentane; 3,3-dimethylpentane; 3-ethylpentane; 2,2,3-trimethylbutane; and combinations thereof.

4 . The blowing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein the HFO blowing agent comprises from about 14% to about 89% by weight of the total weight of the blowing agent composition.

5 . The blowing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein branched hydrocarbon co-blowing agent comprises from about 11% to about 86% by weight of the total weight of the blowing agent composition.

6 . The blowing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein the blowing agent composition further comprises one or more secondary co-blowing agents selected from the group consisting of hydrofluorocarbons (“HFC”), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (“HCFO”), carbon dioxide, and water.

7 . The blowing agent composition of claim 6 , wherein the one or more secondary co-blowing agent is present in an amount from about 0.5% to about 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the blowing agent composition.

8 . The blowing agent composition of claim 1 , wherein the blowing agent composition is used in a foamable polymer composition.

9 . The blowing agent composition of claim 8 , wherein the foamable polymer composition comprises a matrix polymer selected from the group consisting of alkenyl aromatic polymers, styrenic polymers, styrenic copolymers, styrenic block copolymers, polyolefins, halogenated vinyl polymers, polycarbonates, polyisocyanurates, polyesters, polyacrylates, polyurethanes, phenolics, polysulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, acetal resins, polyamides, polyaramides, polyimides, polyetherimides, rubber modified polymers, thermoplastic polymer blends, and combinations thereof.

10 . A foamable polymer composition comprising:
a) a matrix polymer composition, and b) a blowing agent composition comprising a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) blowing agent and a branched hydrocarbon co-blowing agent, wherein the foamable polymer composition contains essentially no water.

11 . The foamable polymer composition of claim 10 , wherein the HFO blowing agent is selected from the group consisting of: 3,3,3-trifluoropropene (HFO-1243zf); 2,3,3-trifluoropropene; (cis and/or trans)-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234ze); 1,1,3,3-tetrafluoropropene; 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf); (cis and/or trans)-1,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropene (HFO-1225ye); 1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoropropene (HFO-1225zc); 1,1,2,3,3-pentafluoropropene (HFO-1225yc); hexafluoropropene (HFO-1216); 2-fluoropropene, 1-fluoropropene; 1,1-difluoropropene; 3,3-difluoropropene; 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-butene; 2,4,4,4-tetrafluoro-1-butene; 3,4,4,4-tetrafluoro-1-butene; octafluoro-2-pentene (HFO-1438); 1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoro-2-methyl-1-propene; octafluoro-1-butene; 2,3,3,4,4,4-hexafluoro-1-butene; 1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene (HFO-1336m/z); 1,2-difluoroethene (HFO-1132); 1,1,1,2,4,4,4-heptafluoro-2-butene; 3-fluoropropene, 2,3-difluoropropene; 1,1,3-trifluoropropene; 1,3,3-trifluoropropene; 1,1,2-trifluoropropene; 1-fluorobutene; 2-fluorobutene; 2-fluoro-2-butene; 1,1-difluoro-1-butene; 3,3-difluoro-1-butene; 3,4,4-trifluoro-1-butene; 2,3,3-trifluoro-1-butene; 1,1,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-butene; 1,4,4,4-tetrafluoro-1-butene; 3,3,4,4-tetrafluoro-1-butene; 4,4-difluoro-1-butene; 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-butene; 2,4,4,4-tetrafluoro-1-butene; 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoro-2-butene; 1,1,4,4,4-pentafluoro-1-butene; 2,3,3,4,4-pentafluoro-1-butene; 1,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluoro-1-butene; 1,1,2,3,4,4,4-heptafluoro-1-butene; 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-propene; and combinations thereof.

12 . The foamable polymer composition of claim 10 , wherein the branched hydrocarbon co-blowing agent is selected from the group consisting of: isobutane; isopentane; neopentane; isohexane; 3-methylpentane; 2,3-dimethylbutane; neohexane; isoheptane; 3-methylhexane; 2,2-dimethylpentane; 2,3-dimethylpentane; 2,4-dimethylpentane; 3,3-dimethylpentane; 3-ethylpentane; 2,2,3-trimethylbutane; and combinations thereof.

13 . The foamable polymer composition of claim 10 , wherein the HFO blowing agent comprises from about 1% to about 8% by weight of the total weight of the foamable polymer composition.

14 . The foamable polymer composition of claim 10 , wherein branched hydrocarbon co-blowing agent comprises from about 1% to about 6% by weight of the total weight of the foamable polymer composition.

15 . The foamable polymer composition of claim 10 , wherein the HFO blowing agent comprises less than 0.03 moles/100 grams of matrix polymer.

16 . The foamable polymer composition of claim 10 , wherein the matrix polymer is selected from the group consisting of alkenyl aromatic polymers, styrenic polymers, styrenic copolymers, styrenic block copolymers, polyolefins, halogenated vinyl polymers, polycarbonates, polyisocyanurates, polyesters, polyacrylates, polyurethanes, phenolics, polysulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, acetal resins, polyamides, polyaramides, polyimides, polyetherimides, rubber modified polymers, thermoplastic polymer blends, and combinations thereof.

17 . A method of manufacturing polymer foam, comprising:
a) providing a matrix polymer composition, b) melting the matrix polymer composition in an extruder, c) injecting a blowing agent composition comprising a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) blowing agent and a branched hydrocarbon co-blowing agent into the molten matrix polymer composition within the extruder to form a foamable polymer composition, wherein the foamable polymer composition contains essentially no water or carbon dioxide, and d) ex

Assignees

• Owens Corning Intellectual Capital Llc

Inventors

• Delaviz Yadollah
• Boudreaux Chase
• Han Xiangmin
• Brammer S Thomas
• Fabian Barbara Ann
• Weekley Mitchell Zane
• Thomas Jeffrey

Classifications

• C08J2201/03

  Extrusion of the foamable blend · CPC title

• C08J9/149 Primary

  Mixtures of blowing agents covered by more than one of the groups C08J9/141 - C08J9/143 · CPC title

• C08J9/144

  containing carbon, halogen and hydrogen only · CPC title

• C08J2203/202

  of physical blowing agents · CPC title

• C08J2203/14

  Saturated hydrocarbons, e.g. butane; Unspecified hydrocarbons · CPC title