BLOWING AGENTS FOR THERMOPLASTIC FOAM, THERMOPLASTIC FOAMS AND METHODS OF FOAMING
Methods for forming extruded polystyrene foam comprising: (a) providing a thermoplastic melt and a blowing agent in the melt comprising: (1) from about 10% by weight to about 50% by weight of HCFO-1233zd(E); (2) from about 35% by weight to about 75% by weight of HFC-134a; (3) from about 10% to about 30% by weight of isobutane; and (4) optionally up to about 15% by weight of dimethyl ether; and (b) foaming the thermoplastic material.
1 . A method for forming extruded polystyrene foam comprising:
(a) providing a thermoplastic polystyrene melt comprising thermoplastic polystyrene and a blowing agent comprising:
i. from about 10% by weight to about 30% by weight of HCFO-1233zd(E);
ii. from about 35% by weight to about 75% by weight of HFC-134a;
iii. from about 10% to about 35% by weight of isobutane; and
iv. optionally a fourth component comprising up to about 20% by weight of dimethyl ether and/or carbon dioxide and/or water and/or ethanol or a combination of two or more of these,
wherein the amount of components (i)-(iv) in the blowing agent is not less than about 95% by weight of all the blowing agent components in the formulation; and
(b) foaming the thermoplastic material by steps including extruding said thermoplastic polystyrene melt to produce extruded polystyrene foam.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said blowing agent comprises:
(i) from about 10% by weight to about 30% by weight of HCFO-1233zd(E);
(ii) from about 55% by weight to about 75% by weight of HFC-134a;
(iii) from about 20% to about 35% by weight of isobutane; and
(iv) optionally a fourth component comprising up to about 20% by weight of dimethyl ether and/or carbon dioxide.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the extruded polystyrene foam has a density of about 40 kg/m 3 or less and an aged thermal conductivity of 30 mW/mk or less.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of (i)-(iv) in the blowing agent is not less than about 97% by weight.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein said blowing agent consisting essentially of:
i. from about 10% by weight to about 30% by weight of HCFO-1233zd(E);
ii. from about 35% by weight to about 65% by weight of HFC-134a; and
iii. from about 10% to about 30% by weight of isobutane.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the extruded polystyrene foam has a density of about 37 kg/m 3 or less and an aged thermal conductivity of 29.5 mW/mK or less.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the extruded polystyrene foam has a density of about 36 kg/m 3 or less and an aged thermal conductivity of 30 mW/mK or less.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the extruded polystyrene foam has a density of about 36 kg/m 3 or less and an aged thermal conductivity of 29.5 mW/mK or less.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the extruded polystyrene foam has a density of about 36 kg/m 3 or less and an aged thermal conductivity of 29 mW/mK or less.
10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the extruded polystyrene foam has a density of about 35 kg/m 3 or less and an aged thermal conductivity of 30 mW/mk or less.
11 . A blowing agent comprising:
(a) from about 10% by weight to about 35% by weight of HCFO-1233zd(E);
(b) from about 35% by weight to about 70% by weight of HFC-134a;
(c) from about 10% to about 30% by weight of isobutane; and
(d) optionally up to about 15% by weight of a fourth component comprising dimethyl ether and/or carbon dioxide and/or water and/or ethanol or a combination of two or more of these,
wherein the amount of components (a)-(d) in the blowing agent is not less than about 95% by weight of all the blowing agents components in the formulation.
12 . The blowing agent of claim 11 comprising:
(i) from about 10% by weight to about 30% by weight of HCFO-1233zd(E);
(ii) from about 55% by weight to about 75% by weight of HFC-134a;
(iii) from about 15% to about 25% by weight of isobutane; and
(iv) optionally up to about 15% by weight of a fourth component comprising dimethyl ether and/or carbon dioxide and/or water and/or ethanol or combinations of two or more of these,
wherein components (i)-(iii) comprise together at least 85% by weight of the blowing agent.
13 . The blowing agent of claim 11 comprising:
(i) from about 10% by weight to about 30% by weight of HCFO-1233zd(E);
(ii) from about 55% by weight to about 75% by weight of HFC-134a;
(iii) from about 15% to about 25% by weight of isobutane; and
(iv) optionally up to about 10% by weight of a fourth component dimethyl ether and/or carbon dioxide and/or water and/or ethanol or combinations of two or more of these,
provided that components (i)-(iii) comprise together at least 90% by weight of the blowing agent.
14 . The blowing agent of claim 11 comprising:
(i) from about 10% by weight to about 30% by weight of HCFO-1233zd(E);
(ii) from about 55% by weight to about 75% by weight of HFC-134a;
(iii) from about 15% to about 35% by weight of isobutane; and
(iv) optionally up to about 10% by weight of a fourth component comprising dimethyl ether and/or carbon dioxide and/or water and/or ethanol or combinations of two or more of these,
wherein components (i)-(iii) comprise together at least 90% by weight of the blowing agent.
15 . The blowing agent of claim 11 comprising:
(i) from about 10% by weight to about 30% by weight of HCFO-1233zd(E);
(ii) from about 55% by weight to about 65% by weight of HFC-134a;
(iii) from about 15% to about 25% by weight of isobutane; and
(iv) optionally up to about 10% by weight of a fourth component comprising dimethyl ether and/or carbon dioxide and/or water and/or ethanol or combinations of two or more of these,
wherein components (i)-(iii) comprise together at least 90% by weight of the blowing agent.
16 . A thermoplastic foam comprising:
(a) a thermoplastic polymer comprising a plurality of closed cells; and
(b) gaseous material contained in said plurality of said closed cells, said gaseous material comprising:
i. from about 10% by weight to about 35% by weight of HCFO-1233zd(E);
ii. from about 35% by weight to about 70% by weight of HFC-134a;
iii. from about 10% to about 30% by weight of isobutane; and
iv. optionally up to about 15% by weight of a fourth component comprising dimethyl ether and/or carbon dioxide and/or water and/or ethanol or a combination of two or more of these,
wherein the amount of components (a)-(d) in said gaseous material is not less than about 85% by weight of all the components in the gaseous material.
17 . The foam of claim 16 wherein said foam is an extruded polystyrene foam having a density of about 40 kg/m 3 or less and an aged thermal conductivity of 30 mW/mk or less.
18 . The foam of claim 16 wherein said foam is an extruded polystyrene foam having a density of about 37 kg/m 3 or less and an aged thermal conductivity of 30 mW/mk or less.
19 . The foam of claim 16 wherein said foam is an extruded polystyrene foam having a density of about 36 kg/m 3 or less and an aged thermal conductivity of 30 mW/mk or less.
20 . The foam of claim 16 wherein said foam is an extruded polystyrene foam having a density of about 35 kg/m 3 or less and an aged thermal conductivity of 29.5 mW/mk or less.