Foaming agents and compositions containing fluorine substituted olefins and methods of foaming
View Patent ↗Disclosed are bowing agent compositions, foamable compositions, foams, foaming methods and/or foamed articles comprising one or more C2 to C6 fluoroalkenes, more preferably one or more C3 to C5 fluoroalkenes, and even more preferably one or more compounds having Formula I as follows: XCF z R 3-z (I) where X is a C 1 , C 2 , C 3 , C 4 , or C 5 unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted radical, each R is independently Cl, F, Br, I or H, and z is 1 to 3, it generally being preferred that the fluoroalkene of the present invention has at least four (4) halogen substituents, at least three of which are F and even more preferably none of which are Br.
1. A foamable composition comprising a thermoplastic foam forming material and a blowing agent, said blowing agent comprising:
(a) trans-1,1,1,3-tetrafluoropropene (transHFO-1234ze); and
(b) 1,1,1,trifluoro,3chloro-propene (HFCO-1233zd), wherein said HFCO-1233zd and said transHFO-1234ze together comprise from about 5% by weight to about 95% of the blowing agent composition.
2. The foamable composition of claim 1 wherein said blowing agent comprises at least about 5% by weight of HFCO-1233zd.
3. The foamable composition of claim 2 wherein said HFCO-1233zd comprises trans-1,1,1,trifluoro,3chloro-propene (trans-HFCO-1233zd).
4. The foamable composition of claim 1 wherein said transHFO-1234ze and said HFCO-1233zd together comprise from-about 40 wt % to about 90 wt % of the blowing agent.
5. The foamable composition of claim 1 wherein said transHFO-1234ze and said HFCO-1233zd together comprise at least about 50 wt % of the blowing agent.
6. The foamable composition of claim 1 wherein said blowing agent further comprises at least ethanol.
7. The foamable composition of claim 1 wherein said blowing agent further comprises at least one dimethylether.
8. The foamable composition of claim 1 wherein said blowing agent further comprises at least acetone.
9. The foamable composition of claim 3 wherein said transHFO-1234ze and said transHFCO-1233zd together comprise from about 5 wt % to about 95 wt % of said blowing agent.
10. The foamable composition of claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic foam forming material comprises at least one thermoplastic foam component selected from monovinyl aromatic compounds, ethylene-based compounds, propylene-based polymers, and combinations of these.
11. A method of forming a foam comprising foaming the foamable composition in accordance with claim 1 .
12. A foam formed from the foamable composition in accordance with claim 1 .
13. The foam of claim 12 in the form of one or more of a block, a slab, a laminate, a rigid foam, an open cell foam, a closed cell foam, a flexible foam, an integral skin foam, refrigerator foam, and a freezer foam.
14. The foam of claim 12 having a k-factor K-factor (BTU in/hr ft2° F.) at 40° F. of not greater than about 0.14.
15. The foamable composition of claim 1 wherein said transHFO-1234ze comprises from about 1 wt % to about 50 wt % of said blowing agent.
16. The foamable composition of claim 1 wherein said HFCO-1233zd comprises from about 1 to about 50 wt % of said blowing agent.