Process for producing isocyanate-based foam construction boards

1. A process for producing a polyurethane or polyisocyanurate foam construction board, the process comprising:

(i) providing an A-side reactant stream that includes an isocyanate containing compound;

(ii) providing a B-side reactant stream that includes an aromatic polyester polyol, a fluorinated additive, at least one surfactant, and a physical blowing agent mixture, where said physical blowing agent mixture includes an acyclic pentane and a blowing agent additive selected from the group consisting of ketones, aldehydes, ethers, esters, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and aromatics, where the blowing agent additive has a Hansen Solubility Parameter (δ t ) that is greater than 17 MPa −0.5 , where the fluorinated additive is provided in an amount of from about 2 to about 24 wt % based upon the entire weight of the physical blowing agent mixture, where the fluorinated additive is emulsified in the at least one surfactant prior to forming the B-side reactant stream, where the B-side reactant stream is devoid of filler; and

(iii) mixing the A-side reactant stream with the B-side reactant stream to produce a reaction mixture.

2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising the step of exposing the reaction mixture to heat.

3. The process of claim 1 , where the reaction mixture is deposited onto a facer.

4. The process of claim 1 , where the reaction mixture is formed into a foam construction board within a laminator.

5. The process of claim 1 , where the fluorinated additive is provided in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 2.0 wt % of the total reaction mixture.

6. The process of claim 1 , where the fluorinated additive is provided in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 6.0 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight said aromatic polyester polyol.

7. The process of claim 1 , where the fluorinated additive includes a fluorinated compound selected from perfluoroaliphatic compounds, perfluorocycloaliphatic compounds, perfluoroolefin compounds, and perfluorocycloolefin compounds.

8. The process of claim 1 , where the fluorinated compound includes a heteroatom selected from divalent oxygen, trivalent nitrogen, and polyvalent sulfur.

9. The process of claim 1 , where the B-side reactant stream includes at least 0.9 parts by weight blowing agent additive per 100 parts by weight said aromatic polyester polyol.

10. The process of claim 1 , where the process produces a construction board having an index of at least 220 and a density of 1.0 to 2.5 lbs/ft 3 .

11. The process of claim 1 , where the blowing agent additive has a Hansen Solubility Parameter that is greater than 17.5 MPa −0.5 .

12. A process for producing a polyurethane or polyisocyanurate construction board, the process comprising:

(i) combining an A-side reactant stream with a B-side reactant stream to form a foam-forming mixture, where the A-side reactant stream includes an isocyanate-containing compound, and where the B-side reactant stream consists essentially of an aromatic polyester polyol, a fluorinated additive, at least one surfactant, an acyclic pentane blowing agent, a blowing agent additive that has a Hansen Solubility Parameter (δ t ) that is greater than 17 MPa −0.5 , optionally other polyols, optionally less than 1.5 parts by weight water per 100 parts by weight said aromatic polyester polyol and other polyols, if present, optionally flame-retardants, optionally other blowing agents, optionally catalysts, optionally emulsifiers, optionally fungicides, and optionally anti-statics, where the fluorinated additive is emulsified in the at least one surfactant prior to the formation of the B-side reactant stream, where the ratio of aromatic polyester polyol to isocyanate-containing compound provides a closed-cell foam having an Index of at least 210, where the amount of acyclic pentane, blowing agent additive, and any water present provide a closed-cell foam having a density of 1.0 to 2.5 lbs/ft 3 , where the blowing agent additive is selected from the group consisting of ketones, aldehydes, ethers, esters, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and aromatics, and where the acyclic pentane and blowing agent additive form a blowing agent mixture, and where the blowing agent mixture includes from about 7 to about 35 mole % blowing agent additive based on the total moles of blowing agent mixture;

(ii) depositing the foam-forming mixture on a facer; and

(iii) heating the foam-forming mixture to form a closed-cell foam.

13. The process of claim 1 , where the blowing agent additive is selected from the group consisting of ketones, aldehydes, ethers, and esters.

14. The process of claim 12 , where the the B-side reactant stream consists of the aromatic polyester polyol, the fluorinated additive, the at least one surfactant, the acyclic pentane blowing agent, the blowing agent additive that has a Hansen Solubility Parameter (δ t ) that is greater than 17 MPa −0.5 , optionally other polyols, optionally less than 1.5 parts by weight water per 100 parts by weight said aromatic polyester polyol and other polyols, if present, optionally flame-retardants, optionally other blowing agents, optionally catalysts, optionally emulsifiers, optionally fungicides, and optionally anti-statics.