0000000000371054
AUTHOR
V. Yakushin
Polyurethane and Polyisocyanurate Foams in External Tank Cryogenic Insulation
External tanks of the spacecrafts need not only efficient, but also safe cryogenic insulation materials and the issues of their development are still urgent. At present, polyurethane (PUR) or polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams’ cryogenic insulation is widely applied in the partially reusable launch systems. Factors influencing the cryogenic resistance of external thermal insulation performed of spray-on PUR or PIR foams are characterised based on a wide literature search. They include chemical structure and macromolecules’ architecture of polymeric matrix, physical and mechanical properties of foams, thermal stability and combustibility, cellular structure of foams etc. Experimental data on physi…
Mechanical properties of rigid polyurethane foams at room and cryogenic temperatures
Studies on the effect of the foams’ polymeric matrix’ properties on the tension and compression properties of pour rigid polyurethane (PUR) foams, apparent core density 65—70 kg/m3, at 296 and 77 K were carried out. PUR foams were produced by the hand mixing method from polyol systems that comprised polyether, polyester polyols, and chain extenders. To produce PUR foams, crude MDI was used, and Solkane 365 mfc/227 ea was used as a blowing agent. The molecular weight per branching unit (Mc) of the polymeric matrix of PUR foams was varied in the range 300—1150. Cohesion energy densities of the blocks forming the polymeric matrix were calculated. The effect of Mc on the formation of hydrogen …