ISSN:
0032-3888
Keywords:
Chemistry
;
Chemical Engineering
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
,
Physics
Notes:
A model describing the expansion of a polyurethane (PU) foam in a closed mold is developed. An energy balance is stated, together with constitutive equations for the vaporization rate of the foaming agent and the polymerization kinetics. A numerical solution is obtained for an experimentally-characterized PU formulation. It is shown that in order to avoid premature gelling or undesirable density distributions, the wall temperature must be close to the initial one. The relative fraction of skin in the foam may be increased by decreasing the part thickness or by adding less catalyst or more blowing agent to the formulation. Factors affecting cream, rise, and process times are discussed.
Additional Material:
14 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pen.760261102
