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Title: Analysis of Material Properties of Aged Rigid Polyurethane Foam

Abstract

Foams are classified as either rigid or flexible and are commonly used in applications such as pipe insulation, carpet fibers, and chair foam cushions. Polyurethane foams are excellent thermal insulators, have excellent mechanical properties, and are chemically inert. With the addition of fire protective additives, polyurethane foams have the ability to intumescence when exposed to high temperatures. For the future storage of the 9977 nuclear shipping packages, the material properties of the General Plastics 3716 rigid polyurethane foam were evaluated for long term performance by comparing aged samples to unaged samples. General Plastics 3716 rigid polyurethane foam was aged from November 2014 to June 2019 at varying temperatures of: 160 deg. F, 160 deg. F + 50% relative humidity (RH), 185 deg. F, 215 deg. F, and 250 deg. F. The foam was then analyzed via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), 3D Optical Microscope, Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). FTIR and Optical Microscope: No significant change to chemical or physical structure was evident by FTIR or optical microscope analysis. DSC: Decrease of heat capacity over time for all oven temperatures except a slight increase for the 185 deg. F conditioned foams. Largest decrease evident with foams conditionedmore » at 250 deg. F. A slight increase in heat capacity for humid samples. Similar trends in heat capacities at 71 deg. C and 102 deg. C. TGA: As conditioning temperature increased, a decline was evident in the average percent weight loss, onset temperature, and first derivative peak temperature. No significant effect due to humidity except for a decrease in first derivative peak temperature. Unaged samples exhibited strong intumescence. Foams conditioned at 160 deg. F exhibited slight intumescence. Results suggest fire protective additives decomposed at higher temperatures, which contributed to a lower average percent mass loss in higher temperature conditioning. Further thermal degradation testing would be beneficial to evaluate the ability of the conditioned foams to intumesce. Evaluate irradiation dose rate effects on conditioned foam. Possible conditioning in an environment with a known humidity or analyzing a new aliquot of sample for each trial to achieve a more representative heat capacity calculation.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Augusta University (United States)
  2. Savannah River National Laboratory (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
23030284
Report Number(s):
INIS-US-21-WM-20-P20653
TRN: US21V2033070636
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: WM2020: 46. Annual Waste Management Conference, Phoenix, AZ (United States), 8-12 Mar 2020; Other Information: Country of input: France; available online at: https://www.xcdsystem.com/wmsym/2020/index.html
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; CALORIMETRY; DOSE RATES; FIBERS; FOAMS; FOURIER TRANSFORM SPECTROMETERS; HUMIDITY; INFRARED SPECTRA; MASS TRANSFER; MECHANICAL PROPERTIES; OPTICAL MICROSCOPES; POLYURETHANES; RADIATION DOSES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE; SPECIFIC HEAT; TESTING; THERMAL DEGRADATION; THERMAL GRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS

Citation Formats

Dowds, Sabrina, and Truong, Thanh-Tam. Analysis of Material Properties of Aged Rigid Polyurethane Foam. United States: N. p., 2020. Web.
Dowds, Sabrina, & Truong, Thanh-Tam. Analysis of Material Properties of Aged Rigid Polyurethane Foam. United States.
Dowds, Sabrina, and Truong, Thanh-Tam. 2020. "Analysis of Material Properties of Aged Rigid Polyurethane Foam". United States.
@article{osti_23030284,
title = {Analysis of Material Properties of Aged Rigid Polyurethane Foam},
author = {Dowds, Sabrina and Truong, Thanh-Tam},
abstractNote = {Foams are classified as either rigid or flexible and are commonly used in applications such as pipe insulation, carpet fibers, and chair foam cushions. Polyurethane foams are excellent thermal insulators, have excellent mechanical properties, and are chemically inert. With the addition of fire protective additives, polyurethane foams have the ability to intumescence when exposed to high temperatures. For the future storage of the 9977 nuclear shipping packages, the material properties of the General Plastics 3716 rigid polyurethane foam were evaluated for long term performance by comparing aged samples to unaged samples. General Plastics 3716 rigid polyurethane foam was aged from November 2014 to June 2019 at varying temperatures of: 160 deg. F, 160 deg. F + 50% relative humidity (RH), 185 deg. F, 215 deg. F, and 250 deg. F. The foam was then analyzed via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), 3D Optical Microscope, Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). FTIR and Optical Microscope: No significant change to chemical or physical structure was evident by FTIR or optical microscope analysis. DSC: Decrease of heat capacity over time for all oven temperatures except a slight increase for the 185 deg. F conditioned foams. Largest decrease evident with foams conditioned at 250 deg. F. A slight increase in heat capacity for humid samples. Similar trends in heat capacities at 71 deg. C and 102 deg. C. TGA: As conditioning temperature increased, a decline was evident in the average percent weight loss, onset temperature, and first derivative peak temperature. No significant effect due to humidity except for a decrease in first derivative peak temperature. Unaged samples exhibited strong intumescence. Foams conditioned at 160 deg. F exhibited slight intumescence. Results suggest fire protective additives decomposed at higher temperatures, which contributed to a lower average percent mass loss in higher temperature conditioning. Further thermal degradation testing would be beneficial to evaluate the ability of the conditioned foams to intumesce. Evaluate irradiation dose rate effects on conditioned foam. Possible conditioning in an environment with a known humidity or analyzing a new aliquot of sample for each trial to achieve a more representative heat capacity calculation.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/23030284}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2020},
month = {Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2020}
}

Conference:
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