Process for Making Improved Urea/Formaldehyde Foams

The accompanying drawing shows in diagrammatic form an apparatus suitable for producing a self-sustaining low-density foam in accordance with the invention.

With reference to the drawing, a vertical column 1 is connected by a connecting piece 2 to a vertical column 3. Column 1 has a height of 3 ft. (90 cm.), an internal diameter of 1 inch (2.5 cm.) and is packed with glass beads 4 each having a diameter of 6 millimeters. Column 2 has a height of 1 ft. (30 cm.) and an internal diameter of 3/4 inch (1.8 cm.) and is filled with glass beads 5 each of which has a diameter of 3 millimeters. The glass beads are retained in column 1 and 3 respectively by means of wire gauzes, 6, 7 respectively. Attached to an extension 8 of column 1 below the point at which it is connected with column 2, is a flexible pipe 9 which may be of any desired length. The pipe 9 used for the quoted Example 1 had a length of 30-40 ft. (circa. 10m.) and an internal diameter 3/4 inch (1.8 cm.), but a pipe used for say the injection of foam as insulation in a cavity wall may have a length of say 4-9 ft. (11/2-3m.).

In operation, a stream A comprising an aqueous solution of resin together with a foaming agent is fed into the top of column 1. The feed stream A may be preheated by passage through a heat-exchanger (not shown). A stream B of air under pressure is also passed into the top of column 1, and foams the resin plus foaming agent solution whilst the latter is trickling through the packing of glass beads.

A stream C comprising an aqueous solution of a hardener together with a foaming agent is fed to the top of column 3, and a stream D of air under pressure is also passed into the top of column 3, and foaming of the mixed hardener solution takes place as it trickles through the glass bead packing.

Resinous foam flows into the extension 8 of column 1, as does foamed hardener issuing from the bottom of column 3 and passing along connecting piece 2. The foamed resin and foamed hardener mix intimately as they pass through pipe 9, from the end of which the foamed material is directed to the site where it is required. Although the mixing of the foam mostly takes place in the extension 8 of column 1, a certain amount of further mixing may take place in pipe 9. The mixing unit thus comprises a plain pipe section reduced in cross-section compared with the total cross-section of the foaming units so as to increase flow speed and thus assist mixing.

To enable the invention to be better understood, it will now be described in further detail with reference to the following examples in which all parts and percentages are by weight.

Using the apparatus described above, a solution of a urea/formaldehyde resin at a solids content of 40% in water, the solution being pre-heated to a temperature of 50.degree. C. and containing 11/2% (on the weight of the resin solids) of the sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate foaming agent known as Nansa HS was used as stream A at a rate of 4 liters per minute. Air stream B was supplied at 80 p.s.i. (6 kg/cm.sup.2). Stream C comprising a 4% solution of phosphoric acid (H.sub.3 PO.sub.4) at 20.degree. C., and containing 11/2% Nansa HS, was fed at a rate of 550 c.c. per minute, giving a feed ratio of 7.28:1. Air stream D was supplied at 40 p.s.i. (3 kg/cm.sup.2). The density of the final foam was 0.875 lbs. per cubic foot (14 kg/m.sup.3).

For comparison purposes, the same materials as used in Example 1 were used under the same conditions except that the resin solution alone was foamed in the manner used hitherto and the hardener added to the foam. The minimum final density that could be achieved was 2.1 lbs. per cubic foot (33 kg/m.sup.3).

Apparatus similar to that described above but of different dimensions has also been used in our investigations. Column 1 had a height of 60 cm. and a internal diameter of 4 cm., the packing beads 4 each having a diameter of 5 mm. Both the feed stream A to column 1 and the feed stream C to column 3 were provided with heat exchangers. Column 1 was fed at a rate of 7 liters per minute with a solution of urea/formaldehyde resin at 60% solids content and containing 1% of the sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate. This was heated a 35.degree. C. Both columns were fed with air at 2 kg/cm.sup.2. The product was an excellent foam, having a density of 104 kg/m.sup.3 wet and 53 kg/m.sup.3 air-dry.

Example 2 was repeated, except that a small portion of polyvinyl alcohol (88/10 Revinex) was substituted for part of the urea/formaldehyde resin at a level of 2% of the resin mix. This gave a foam having the same properties as that made in Example 2 except that it had improved compressive strength.

Example 2 was repeated, using the same apparatus and materials except that a resin solution of 64% solids content was used. Column 1 was fed with air at 1.65 kg/cm.sup.2 and column 3 was fed with air at 2 kg/cm.sup.2. The foam produced had a density of 112 kg/m.sup.3 wet and 72 kg/m.sup.3 air-dry.

EXAMPLES 5,6,7, and 8 were carried out in apparatus in which column 1 had a height of 60cm., an internal diameter of 4cm. and was packed with 8mm. glass beads; column 3 had a height of 60cm., an internal diameter of 2cm. and was packed with 5mm. glass beads and flexible tail pipe 9 was 4m. in length and 2.5cm. diameter. In the following Examples, resin containing 11/2% NANSA HS (Calculated on resin solids) was fed to column 1 at a rate of 7 liters per minute and a solution containing 4% phosphoric acid and 11/2% NANSA HS was fed to column 3. Whilst maintaining these conditions, the effect of varying temperature and feed ratio was demonstrated.

Resin of 75% solids content and 25.degree.C was fed to column 1 with air at a pressure of 1.5 kg/cm.sup.2 ; 1.7 liters per minute of the acid solution was fed to column 3 with air at the same pressure. A foam with an air-dry density of 50.7 kg/m.sup.3 was produced.

Example 5 was repeated with the resin at 75.degree.C and the air pressure on column 1 of 3.8 kg/cm.sup.2. The air pressure on column 3 was 3.75 kg/cm.sup.2. The foam then produced had an air-dry density of 25.2 kg/m.sup.3.

Using the same resin solution as in Examples 5 and 6 with air at a pressure of 2.4 kg/cm.sup.2 and feeding 1.4 liters per minute of acid solution to column 3 with air at a pressure of 3.23 kg/cm.sup.2, foam with an air-dry density of 30.9 kg/m.sup.3 was produced.

Example 7 was repeated feeding 1.17 liters per minutes of acid solution and air at a pressure of 2.25 kg/cm.sup.2 to column 3. The foam so produced had an air-dry density of 41.3 kg/m.sup.3.