Foam, composition, and method

Abstract

A method of producing a foam is disclosed. The method includes providing an epoxy-containing compound, a cationic catalyst, an optional blowing agent, and at least one additive. The method further includes combining the epoxy-containing compound with the cationic catalyst, the optional blowing agent, and the at least one additive, wherein the epoxy-containing compound and the cationic catalyst react to polymerize the epoxy-containing compound to provide the foam having a density from about 0.3 lbs/ft.sup.3 to about 5.0 lbs/ft.sup.3 as measured by ASTM D1622. Further disclosed are the foam and a method for installing the foam.

Claims

1. A foam composition consisting of a resin matrix, wherein the resin matrix consists of an epoxy-containing compound; a cationic catalyst consisting of a superacid, a BF.sub.3 complex, a phosphoric acid derivative, or combination thereof; an optional blowing agent; and at least one additive; wherein the composition is free of an isocyanate compound, the foam having a density from about 0.3 lbs/ft.sup.3 to about 5.0 lbs/ft.sup.3 as measured by ASTM D1622.

2. The foam of claim 1, wherein the epoxy-containing compound is bio-based, petrochemical based, or combination thereof.

3. The foam of claim 2, wherein the bio-based epoxy compound is derived from linseed oil, corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, canola oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, camelina oil, fish oil, tall oil, algae oil, or combinations thereof.

4. The foam of claim 2, wherein the petrochemical based epoxy-containing compound consists of a cycloaliphatic epoxy compound and an aromatic epoxy compound.

5. The foam of claim 1, wherein the superacid is HBF.sub.4, CF.sub.3SO.sub.3H (triflic acid), HSbF.sub.6, HPF.sub.6, FSO.sub.3H, HClO.sub.4, CF.sub.3(CF.sub.2)x-SO.sub.3H, FSO.sub.3HSbF.sub.5 (magic acid) or combinations thereof.

6. The foam of claim 5, wherein the superacid has a pKa of about 8 to about 25.

7. The foam of claim 1, wherein the additive consists of a surfactant.

8. The foam of claim 1, wherein the additive consists of a fire retardant.

9. The foam of claim 1, wherein the additive consists of a co-reactant including a diol, a glycerin, or a combination thereof.

10. The foam of claim 1, wherein the additive consists of a catalyst carrier.

11. The foam of claim 10, wherein the catalyst carrier consists of a polyhydroxyl compound.

12. The foam of claim 1, wherein the cationic catalyst is present at an amount of about 0.05 wt. % to about 5.0 wt. %, based on the total composition.

13. The foam of claim 1, wherein the blowing agent is present at an amount of about 5.0 wt. % to about 30.0 wt. %, based on the total composition.

14. The foam of claim 1, wherein the cationic catalyst provides a gel time of about 5 seconds to about 180 seconds.

15. The foam of claim 14, wherein the cationic catalyst provides a gel time of about 10 seconds to about 50 seconds.

16. A building cavity comprising the foam of claim 1.

17. A method of installing a foam in a building cavity comprising: mixing a composition consisting of a resin matrix, wherein the resin matrix consists of an epoxy-containing compound, a cationic catalyst consisting of a superacid, a BF.sub.3 dihydrate complex, or combination thereof, an optional blowing agent and at least one additive to form an epoxy matrix foam composition; and spraying the foam composition to the building cavity, wherein the foam is isocyanate free and has a density from about 0.3 lbs/ft.sup.3 to about 5.0 lbs/ft.sup.3 as measured by ASTM D1622.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the cationic catalyst provides a gel time of about 5 seconds to about 180 seconds.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the sprayed foam composition hardens in about 30 seconds to about 5 minutes.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the superacid has a pKa of about 8 to about 25.

Description

EXAMPLES

(1) Five samples of a foam composition are prepared. The compositions can be found in Tables 1-5.

(2) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Boroxine Example % Weight in Component Formulation Epoxidized Soybean Oil 60.6 Blowing Agent (Enovate 22.3 3000) Trimethoxy Boroxine 11.3 cycloaliphatic diepoxy ELR-4221 3.2 Surfactant, Tegostab B 8476 0.9 Surfactant, Tegostab B 8526 0.9 Pyridine Borane 0.8 Total 100.0

(3) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Pure Bio-Based Example % Weight in Component Formulation Epoxidized Linseed Oil 68.0 Blowing Agent (Enovate 25.5 3000) Terol 925 3.8 Surfactant - Silstab 3000 1.7 Catalyst - HBF.sub.4 0.5 Water 0.5 Total 100.0

(4) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Pure Petrochemical Based Example % Weight in Component Formulation Dow Epoxy Resin 330 58.3 Blowing Agent (Enovate 16.2 3000) Fire Retardant, DP-45 14.9 Dimethyl Phthalate 8.4 Surfactant Silstab 2760 1.6 Water 0.3 Catalyst - HBF.sub.4 0.3 Total 100.0

(5) TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Blended Resin Example % Weight in Component Formulation Dow Epoxy Resin 331 35.6 Epoxidized Linseed Oil 19.5 Blowing Agent (Enovate 16.2 3000) Fire Retardant, BP-59 14.9 Terol 305 6.5 SPI - ERL 4221 Epoxy 3.2 Plasticizer Dimethyl Phthalate 1.9 Surfactant Silstab 3000 1.6 Water 0.3 Catalyst - HBF.sub.4 0.3 Total 100.0

(6) TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 BF.sub.3 Complex Catalyst Example % Weight in Component Formulation Dow Epoxy Resin 383 50.5 Blowing Agent (Enovate 16.5 3000) Fire Retardant, Melamine 13.2 Polyphosphate Dimethyl Phthalate 8.7 Dow Epoxy Resin 661 5.6 SPI - ERL 4221 Epoxy 3.3 Plasticizer Surfactant 1.7 Catalyst - BF.sub.3 Dihydrate 0.5 complex Total 100.0

(7) The compositions are then applied on a wood surface using both a low pressure air atomizer (80 psi) or a high pressure air atomizer (1200 psi). The foams have excellent reactivity with no delamination or shrinkage. Further, the foams all have a density of about 0.5 lbs/ft.sup.3 to about 2.5 lbs/ft.sup.3.

(8) Note that not all of the activities described above in the general description or the examples are required, that a portion of a specific activity may not be required, and that one or more further activities may be performed in addition to those described. Still further, the order in which activities are listed are not necessarily the order in which they are performed.

(9) In the foregoing specification, the concepts have been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded as an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of invention.

(10) As used herein, the terms comprises, comprising, includes, including, has, having or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of features is not necessarily limited only to those features but may include other features not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, or refers to an inclusive-or and not to an exclusive-or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

(11) Also, the use of a or an are employed to describe elements and components described herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

(12) Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any feature(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature of any or all the claims.

(13) After reading the specification, skilled artisans will appreciate that certain features are, for clarity, described herein in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any subcombination. Further, references to values stated in ranges include each and every value within that range.