A buffer material including a skinned polyurethane foam including a foam layer and a skin layer formed on the surface of the foam layer, wherein the skinned polyurethane foam essentially contains no silicone compound, the foam layer is polyurethane foam, the skin layer is a polyurethane resin layer produced by reaction of a skin-isocyanate component containing an aliphatic and/or an alicyclic polyisocyanate with a skin-active hydrogen group-containing component, the skin layer has a storage modulus at 23 C. (E.sub.coat) of 110.sup.7 Pa or more and 310.sup.8 Pa or less, the foam layer has a storage modulus at 23 C. (E.sub.foam) of 110.sup.5 Pa or more and 510.sup.6 Pa or less, and the ratio (E.sub.coat/E.sub.foam) of the storage modulus at 23 C. (E.sub.coat) of the skin layer relative to the storage modulus at 23 C. (E.sub.foam) of the foam layer is 10 or more and 500 or less.

The invention described herein generally pertains to a composition and a method for improving the shelf life of a gaseous hydrofluoroolefin propellant, the improvement comprising at least the increased aromatic polyester polyol(s) in combination with a tertiary amine catalyst comprising at least two cyclohexyl rings and an aliphatic metal salt catalyst, the amine catalyst having less than 10% nitrogen on a weight basis.

Polyurethane foams which are highly flame resistant are described, as well as the production of such polyurethane foams by the reaction between a natural polyol, such as sucrose or a blend of mono- or disaccharides in place of the standard hydrocarbon-based polyol component, a polyisocyanate and water in the presence of a suitable polyurethane forming catalyst and a non-halogenated flame retardant, and optionally one or more components such as surfactants and/or emulsifiers. The resultant polyurethane foam has a bio-based solid content ranging from about 17% to 30%, may be formulated in a variety of foam densities for a variety of applications, and exhibits a high degree of fire and burn resistance, as exhibited by the flame spread index, flash over resistance determination, and the smoke spread values.

A metering device and metering method for metering carbon dioxide flow belong to the technical field of preparation of polyurethane foam materials. The metering device of the present invention has a simple structure and a small size, can accurately control the amount of the delivered liquefied carbon dioxide; meanwhile, one end of the metering pump is connected with the sliding block, and the sliding block can move on the transverse plate, thus changing the vertical movement stroke of the piston rod and changing the flow volume of the carbon dioxide. The cylinder of the metering pump of the present invention is internally provided with the water passages, and a coolant can be filled into the water passages to keep the temperature of the carbon dioxide constant.

This invention relates to compositions comprising 1,2-dichloro-1,2-difluoroethylene (i.e., CFO-1112) and an additional component. The compositions described herein may be useful, for example, in foam blowing applications.

Catalyst compositions useful in the production of insulating polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foam are disclosed. The catalyst compositions impart increased stability of a mixture of the catalyst, a halogen-containing blowing agent, and a polyol. These catalyst compositions include amine/acid salts with a pH of <7.0 which can be used in combined with tertiary amine catalysts and metal-based or ammonium-based trimerization catalyst and at least one metal-based gel catalyst and optionally one or more of an additional catalyst described in (1) or (2). These improved catalysts can be used with any halogenated blowing agent, and provide substantial stability benefits with the use of hydrofluoroolefins and hydrofluorochloroolefins. In an exemplary embodiment, a process includes providing a pre-mix comprising an organic carboxylic di-acid, tri-acid or poly-acid component and contacting a tetraalkylguanidine and/or a tertiary amine containing an isocyanate reactive group with the acid component in the pre-mix to form a mixture of tetraalkylguanidine salt or tertiary amine salt or their combination.

Foam compositions are provided. The compositions are prepared from multi-functional acetoacetate esters and multi-functional amines or acrylates. The foam compositions can include one or more additives. The foam compositions can be used for home and commercial insulation, air sealing, sound proofing, structural improvement, and exterior roofing, among other applications. The foam compositions provide advantages of being isocyanate free and offer reduced exposure to isocyanate.

A foamable, insulating-layer-forming multi-component composition has at least one alkyoxysilane-functional polymer, at least one insulating-layer-forming fire-protection additive, a blowing-agent mixture, and a cross-linking agent. The at least one alkoxysilane-functional polymer contains, as terminal groups and/or as side groups along the polymer chain, alkoxy-functional silane groups of a formula Si(R.sup.1).sub.m(OR.sup.2).sub.3-m. In this formula, R.sup.1 stands for a linear or branched C.sub.1-C.sub.16 alkyl moiety, R.sup.2 for a linear or branched C.sub.1-.sub.6 alkyl moiety and m for an integer from 0 to 2. The composition can be a foam-in-place foam or can be used for the manufacture of molded blocks.

Disclosed is a method and system for supporting a pipeline in a trench. The disclosure is directed to the placement of urea-silicate sprayable or pumpable foams into trenches to provide pipeline pillow supports during placement of the pipeline and to form trench breakers in the trench prior to the trench being backfilled. The pillow supports and trench breakers inhibit erosion of the trench prior to and after being backfilled. The urea-silicate foam material has an open cell content of at least 50% to resist floatation, is non-flammable and electrically conductive. Also disclosed is use of supports for placement between the urea-silicate foam and the bottom of the trench to aid in utilization of the urea-silicate foams in cold weather conditions and in trenches with steeply sloped bottoms. Preferably the supports are biodegradable and electrically conductive when wet.

A method and apparatus for applying a foamed mixture of paints on a structural surface. A continuous stream of high velocity gas moves through a nozzle and is directed toward the structural surface, and two or more paints may be intermittently moved into the gas stream of the nozzle and aerated and mixed with each other and moved with the gas stream to form a foam that is applied to the structural surface. The components of the foamed mixture may include single component or plural component materials such as polyurethane foam, adhesive, and polyurea formulations, and may be moved through a volumetric metering device consisting of material heaters, a heated hose, and an applicator gun. The nitrogen gas stream fluidizes the mixture as it passes through and out of the nozzle and forms the mixture into a foam that is applied to the structural surface.