PENOIZOL MATERIALS: PRODUCTION AND RAW MATERIAL COST

Technologically, production of this cellular plastic requires uniform injection of urea formaldehyde resin into foamy substance (water solution of a foaming agent) and then fixing the resulted jelly-like compound with a curing agent (orthophosphoric acid). Penoizol manufacture does not require thermal treatment.

Urea formaldehyde foam components are supplied by many Russian and foreign chemical plants. The production process is absolutely waste-free. UF foam can be even produced in remote and hard-to-reach areas. In one run, a KamAZ truck can deliver to your construction site the quantity of raw materials sufficient to produce as much as 1000 cubic meters of this plastic foam.

N.S.T. Research & Production Company has good partnerly relations with specialized companies engaged in production and delivery of raw materials to all regions of Russia, the CIS, and the Baltic countries. The largest UF foam component warehouse is located near Moscow. The materials can be supplied in customer-specified packages and in any amounts; there are neither minimum nor maximum batch quantity limitations.

Until recently, the domestic industry produced only two resin grades (KFMT and VPSG) suitable for manufacture of UF foams. However, the quality of plastic foam that could be produced from theses resins was not always satisfactory to consumers. The resulted UF foam was often too brittle and its mechanical properties were not suitable for making thin sheets or sectional insulation or other products. Injecting additives and plasticizing agents into the resin solution could not solve the problem.

A new type of resin has recently appeared with improved mechanical properties for urea formaldehyde foam manufacture. It was modified at the stage of forming low-molecular polymers using active agents that promote the generation of additional chemical cross-links during polymerization of the resin at room temperatures. This product is marketed under the KF-HTP trademark. This new resin opens wider prospects for application of urea formaldehyde foams.

Besides, a new foaming agent for UF foam production called Sofex-PO-01 has been developed and commercialized. Many manufacturers are already using this product in place of the expensive ABSK that has traditionally been used in Russian plastic foam industry. It has received a good feedback from customers. This agent is noted for high foam stability and, due to the plasticizing components added, improves the moldability of plastic foams, reduces their brittleness, and somewhat shortens the drying time. This highly workable product is ready-to-use and does not require any presoaking to accelerate its dissolution in water. The compound’s foaming capacity does not become worse in an acid environment.

One essential disadvantage of urea formaldehyde foams is their relatively high water absorption ability (up to 18 or 20 wt %). This problem can be solved during the finish treatment of Penoizol sheets or other products by adding some organosilicon water repellents, which can bring the water absorption ability down to the level of 4-5%. This treatment method is simple and will not add much to the manufacturing cost.

The table below will help estimate your Penoizol™ production costs: