A Study of the Effect of the Chemical Synergy of Tin-Based Catalysts and Halogenated and Non-Halogenated Flame Retardants on the Physical Properties of High Resilience Polyurethane Foam

摘要

The market for the high resilience (HR) polyurethane foam has undergone many changes over the past 50 years. Many of these market changes have been dictated by consumer needs and environmental responsibility by industry. Manufacturers and suppliers of HR polyurethane foam have had to invest in the research and development of the chemistry and processing conditions to meet these market changes. Numerous publications have aimed to provide an understanding of the importance of the role of each chemical component in the foam recipe. It is known that in order to achieve stable/durable HR foam with the level of comfort desirable to the consumer, certain polyols, tin and amine catalysts, flame retardants, blowing agents, water and surfactants must be used in combination with TDI and/or MDI. The chemical synergy of these ingredients must not only result in a comfortable durable foam, but must also result in HR foam that will meet the furniture California Technical Bulletin 117 and/or the automotive FMVSS302 flammability tests. Regarding today's rapidly expanding body of environmental concerns, it is important to understand our products on a molecular level so that the chemistry can be tailored to adapt to the dynamic needs of the HR foam market. This paper focuses on the study of the effect of the chemical synergy of tin-based catalysts and flame retardants on the physical properties of HR polyurethane foam. The goal is to improve the knowledge of how physical properties are affected when tin catalysts, such as dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) and stannous octoate, are used in the presence and absence of halogenated flame retardants. The data shows that certain formulation ingredients do affect the thermal degradation of HR foam induced by tin catalysts. This study examines the chemical approach to meet the new environmental challenges of today's market.