On April 15th, Shandong University of Science and Technology and Futian New Material Technology Co., Ltd. jointly completed the creation project of a new chlorine free fluoropolyurethane chemical foaming agent, which passed the scientific and technological achievement appraisal organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation in Beijing. The appraisal committee led by Duan Xue, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Su Yinao, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, believes that this technological achievement is the first at home and abroad, ranking the international leading level, and will play a significant role in promoting the substitution of chlorofluorocarbon foaming agents in China.
The appraisal opinion shows that this technological achievement has four major innovative points: firstly, two new types of chlorine free fluoropolyurethane chemical foaming agents have been designed and synthesized. These two types of foaming agents are new chemical substances and have completed toxicological experiments and new substance registration, making them safe and green. The second is to propose new ideas for the development of new structural foaming agents. The foaming agent prepared using this new approach decomposes to produce carbon dioxide under the promotion of reaction heat; The foaming agent has good compatibility with polyol components, forming a foaming material with fine and uniform pores and excellent performance. Thirdly, new structural foaming agents have been developed for application in fields such as building insulation boards, pipeline insulation, and cold storage insulation. Fourthly, a preparation process for new structural foaming agents has been developed and a pilot plant has been established. The foam material produced by the new process has been tested and its thermal conductivity and other performance indicators have met the national standard requirements.
It is reported that this chlorine free fluorine polyurethane chemical foaming agent was developed by Professor Bi Yusui's research team from Shandong University of Technology after more than 10 years of development. Since 2016, Shandong University of Technology and Butian New Materials Company have collaborated on research on the application and industrialization technology of new structural foaming agents, and have built a pilot plant with an annual production scale of 3000 tons. The produced foaming agent products have been exported to the United States and received high praise from users.
According to Bi Yusui, 38 national invention patents have been applied for this technological achievement, of which 2 have been authorized and 2 have been applied for PCT patents. After the review of the expert group of the China National Intellectual Property Administration and the search at home and abroad, it is confirmed that the chlorine free fluoropolyurethane chemical foaming agent is a major theoretical innovation and technological invention. In 2017, Futian New Materials Company invested 500 million yuan and obtained a 20 year exclusive patent license for the product (excluding the US and Canadian markets).
Bi Yusui stated that according to international conventions, China will completely cease the production and use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons by 2030. As a substitute for chlorofluorocarbon polyurethane physical foaming agent, the promotion and application of chlorofluorocarbon free polyurethane chemical foaming agent will make a significant contribution to the elimination of chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons in the polyurethane foam material industry, the protection of the ozone layer and the reduction of carbon emissions. The appraisal committee also believes that this new structural foaming agent provides strong technical support for China to respond to climate change, fulfill the Paris Agreement and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, and has broad prospects for promotion and application. It is recommended to industrialize as soon as possible and increase promotion efforts.
At present, the industrialization promotion of this project is being accelerated, and a 100000 ton/year chlorine free fluoropolyurethane chemical foaming agent project will be constructed.