Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC

The Ohio State University

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company

Xiangmin Han

Yadollah Delaviz

Chase J Boudreaux

John R Green

Nigel Ravenscroft

Jose Mendez-Andino

Heather Alspaugh

Roland R Loh

Nikoi Annan

Kurt W Koelling

L James Lee

Barbara A Fabian

S Thomas Brammer

Changchun Zeng

David Lane Tomasko

Raymond Marshall Breindel

Mitchell Zane Weekley

Mark E Polasky

Jeffrey Scott Thomas

Xiaohu Xia

Joseph P Rynd

James L Lee

Pere Ruiz Donaire

Roser Amposta Estruch

Barbara Ann Fabian

Christine Turner

Barbara Fabian

Inorganic infrared attenuation agent blends have been developed to improve the thermal insulation properties of polymeric foams such as polystyrene low density foams. The inorganic infrared attenuation agent blends can include two or more metal oxides such as silicon dioxide, manganese (IV) oxide, iron (III) oxide, magnesium oxide, bismuth (III) oxide, cobalt oxide, zirconium (IV) oxide, molybdenum (III) oxide, titanium oxide, and calcium oxide. In some preferred embodiments, the inorganic infrared attenuation agent blends can include four or more of these metal oxides.

Infrared attenuation agent blends

Disclosed is a blowing agent composition comprising a hydrofluoroolefins (HFO) and a branched hydrocarbon, and a foamable polymer composition comprising the blowing agent composition. Also disclosed is a method of making a polymer foam utilizing a blowing agent composition comprising an HFO and a branched hydrocarbon.

Blowing agent compositions for insulating foams

A foamable polymeric mixture is provided that includes a polymer composition and at least one blowing agent. The blowing agent may comprise any blowing agents known not to deplete the ozone or increase the prevalence of global warming, such as CO, HFO, HFC and mixtures thereof. The foamable polymeric mixture may further includes at least one processing aid comprising an organic phase changing material. The inventive foamable mixture is capable of processing at a pressure range of 800 to 1200 psi (5.5 to 8.3 MPa).

Processing aids for use in manufacture extruded polystyrene foams using low global warming potential blowing agents

Organic infrared attenuation agents have been developed to improve the thermal insulation properties of polymeric foams such as polystyrene low density foams. The organic infrared attenuation agents can include polyols such as sorbitol, maltitol, and poly(ethylene glycol), polysaccharides such as starch or cellulose, and infrared attenuation polyesters such as polybutylene terephthalate. The organic attenuation agents include aromatic compounds or carbon oxygen bonds that are effective in absorbing infrared radiation at the desired wavelengths.

Organic infrared attenuation agents

This invention relates to foam insulating products, particularly extruded polystyrene foam, containing multi-layered nano-graphite as a process additive for improving the physical properties of foam products.

Polymer foams containing multi-functional layered nano-graphite

Nano-sized particles such as nano-clays can be mixed with polymers through either melt compounding or in-situ polymerization. By modifying the particle surface with various surfactants and controlling processing conditions, we are able to achieve either intercalated (partial dispersion) or exfoliated (full dispersion) nano-clay distribution in polymers with the clay content up to 35% by weight. When a blowing agent is injected into the nanocomposite in an extruder (a continuous mixer) or a batch mixer, polymeric foam can be produced. Supercritical carbon dioxide, an environmentally friendly, low-cost, non-flammable, chemically benign gas is used as the blowing agent. This process forms a microcellular foam with very high cell density (&#x3e;10cells/cc) and small cell size (&#x3c;5 microns) can be achieved by controlling the COcontent, melt and die temperature, and pressure drop rate.

Polymer nanocomposite foams

Nano-sized particles such as nano-clays can be mixed with polymers through either melt compounding or in-situ polymerization. By modifying the particle surface with various surfactants and controlling processing conditions, we are able to achieve either intercalated (partial dispersion) or exfoliated (full dispersion) nano-clay distribution in polymers with the clay content up to 35% by weight. When a blowing agent is injected into the nanocomposite in an extruder (a continuous mixer) or a batch mixer, polymeric foam can be produced. Supercritical carbon dioxide, an environmentally friendly, low-cost, non-flammable, chemically benign gas is used as the blowing agent. This process forms a microcellular foam with very high cell density (>10 cells/cc) and small cell size (<5 microns) can be achieved by controlling the CO content, melt and die temperature, and pressure drop rate.

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Stow, OH, United States of America

Xiangmin Han