Grace Service Chemicals Gmbh

Other

Teroson Gmbh

Gerhard Schuster

Thomas Hattich

William Krug

Wolfgang Fischer

A novel aqueous release agent is described which contains as release-active substances oil, fat, wax, fatty amines and/or esters of fatty acids with fatty alcohols emulsified in water as the carrier and a specific emulsifier system, which consists of a blend of neutralized cationic quaternary ammonium compounds and anionic soaps. Surprisingly the system does not flocculate despite the opposite charge of the two emulsifier components and leads to a more flexible, elastic and pressure restistant release agent film than conventional release agents for use in processes for producing articles from polyurethane foam.

Aqueous release agent and the use thereof

A novel aqueous release agent is described, which contains as release-active subtances oil and/or wax emulsified in water as the carrier and which also contains as a further release-active substance one or more aliphatic primary, secondary and/or tertiary amines with at least one C.sub.12 -C.sub.24 alkyl radical and one or more ammonium salts as the emulsifier for the amine or amines. The invention is based on the surprising finding that hydrophobic amines (so-called fatty amines) are release-active substances. It has also surprisingly been found according to the invention that when using ammonium salts as the emulsifier, mould removal characteristics are not only impaired, but often even improved, which is not the case with conventional emulsifiers. The release agent according to the invention is particularly suitable in processes for producing polyurethane foam articles.

Release agent for urethane foam molding

A process for producing polyurethane foam articles is described, in which the article is produced in the conventional manner by foaming in a mould and a release agent is applied to the mould surface prior to filling with the foam-producing components. According to the invention, a solvent-free, aqueous release agent is used in combination with one or more alkali metal and/or ammonium salts of higher fatty acids and one or more higher alcohols and the combination is applied in the hot state, preferably at a temperature of at least 75.degree. C. to the mould surface. In addition, an additive is described, which is suitable for performing the process according to the invention and contains one or more alkali metal and/or ammonium salts of higher fatty acids, one or more higher alcohols and otherwise water. The process according to the invention has the advantage that it not only avoids the use of environmentally prejudicial organic solvents, but also leads to excellent release agent films, from which the water is very largely evaporated within a very short time and namely within the very short cycle times of modern foam plants.

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Nuremberg, Germany

Gerhard Schuster