Publications

Thermophysical properties of BKC 44306 and BKC 44307 PMDI urethane solid and foams

Bauer, Stephen J.; Flint, Gregory M.; Mondy, L.A.

Accurate knowledge of thermophysical properties of urethane foam is considered extremely important for meaningful models and analyses to be developed of scenarios wherein the foam is heated. Its performance at temperature requires a solid understanding of the foam material properties at temperature. Also, foam properties vary with density/porosity. An experimental program to determine the thermal properties of the two foams and their parent solid urethane was developed in order to support development of a predictive model relating density and thermal properties from first principles. Thermal properties (thermal conductivity, diffusivity, and specific heat) of the foam were found to vary with temperatures from 26°C to 90°C. Thermal conductivity generally increases with increasing temperature for a given initial density and ranges from .0433 W/mK at 26°C to .0811 W/mK at 90°C; thermal diffusivity generally decreases with increasing temperature for a given initial density and ranges from .4101 mm²/s at 26°C to .1263 mm²/s at 90°C; and specific heat generally increases with increasing temperature for a given initial density and ranges from .1078 MJ/m³K at 26°C to .6323 MJ/m³K at 90°C. Thermal properties of the solid urethane were also found to vary with temperatures from 26°C to 90°C. Average thermal conductivity generally increases with increasing temperature for a given initial density and ranges from 0.126 to 0.131 W/mK at 26°C to 0.153 to 0.157 W/mK at 90°C; average thermal diffusivity generally decreases with increasing temperature for a given initial density and ranges from 0.142 to 0.147 mm²/s at 26°C to 0.124 to 0.125 mm²/s at 90°C; and average specific heat generally increases with increasing temperature for a given initial density and ranges from 0.889 to 0.899 MJ/m³K to 1.229 to 1.274 MJ/m³K at 90°C. The density of both foam and solid urethane decreased with increasing temperature.