Polyolefin dispersions, froths, and foams
Polyolefin dispersions, froths, and foams and articles manufactured therefrom are disclosed. Also disclosed is a method for generating a thermoplastic foam from an aqueous dispersion. The aqueous dispersion may include a thermoplastic resin, water, and a stabilizing agent. The method may include adding at least one frothing surfactant to the aqueous dispersion to form a mixture, adding a flame retardant and/or a phase change material, frothing the mixture to create a froth, and removing at least a portion of the water to produce the foam.
1. A method for generating an open-cell flame retardant thermoplastic foam from a stabilized aqueous dispersion, the aqueous dispersion comprising a thermoplastic resin, water, and a dispersion-stabilizing agent, the method comprising:
adding at least one frothing surfactant to the stabilized aqueous dispersion to form a mixture;
adding a flame retardant;
frothing the mixture to create a froth; and
removing at least a portion of the water to produce the open-cell foam;
wherein the thermoplastic resin comprises an ethylene homopolymer, an ethylene/α-olefin copolymer, or an ethylene/α-olefin multiblock interpolymer, a propylene homopolymer, a propylene/α-olefin copolymer, a propylene/α-olefin multiblock interpolymer, or a combination of two or more thereof.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
coating at least a portion of a substrate with a layer of the froth; and
removing a majority of the water from the froth.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the foam has a fibrillated morphology.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flame retardant comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an inorganic salt, an intumescent, a halogenated compound, a phosphate compound, a borate compound, a melamine compound, and combinations thereof.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the inorganic salt comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the foam comprises from about 5 to about 70% by weight flame retardant.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the froth has a density ranging from about 0.04 to about 0.45 g/cm 3 on a wet basis.
8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the coating is performed without an adhesive.
9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the foam has a density on a dry basis ranging from about 0.02 to about 0.30 g/cm 3 after removing a portion of the water.
10. A foam formed by the method of claim 1 .
11. The foam of claim 10 , wherein the flame retardant is added after the removal of at least a portion of the water.
12. The foam of claim 10 , wherein the flame retardant is added prior to frothing.
13. The foam of claim 10 , wherein the foam has an open-cell ratio greater than about 75%.
14. The foam of claim 10 , wherein the foam is layered without an adhesive directly to a fabric.
15. A fire barrier, a sound deadening layer, a thermo-regulating material, a thermal insulation layer in clothing, an odor absorber, a padding material, or a perfume carrier comprising the foam of claim 10 .
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the foam created comprises 20 weight percent or less residual water.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the foam created comprises from 0 to about 10 weight percent residual water.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the foam created comprises from 0 to about 8 weight percent residual water.
19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
coating at least a portion of a substrate with a layer of the froth.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the flame retardant comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an inorganic salt, an intumescent, a halogenated compound, a phosphate compound, a borate compound, a melamine compound, and combinations thereof.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the inorganic salt comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.
22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the foam comprises from about 5 to about 70% by weight flame retardant.
23. The method of claim 16 , wherein the froth has a density ranging from about 0.04 to about 0.45 g/cm 3 on a wet basis.
24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the coating is performed without an adhesive.
25. The method of claim 16 , wherein the foam has a density on a dry basis ranging from about 0.02 to about 0.30 g/cm 3 after removing at least a portion of the water.
26. The method of claim 16 , wherein the volume of the foam is at least about 60 percent of the volume of the froth.
27. A flame retardant article comprising:
a fabric; and
the foam of claim 10 disposed on the fabric.
28. The article of claim 27 , wherein the foam layer and the fabric layer are fused without an adhesive.
29. The article of claim 27 , wherein the foam is at least partially impregnated in the fabric.