Abstract:
It has now been found that the use of inert gases as an auxiliary blowing agent in flexible polyurethane foams places unexpected requirements on the composition of the silicone surfactants used in such foams. Typical silicone polyalkylene oxide polyether copolymer comb-type surfactants containing greater than about 37 % ethylene oxide in the pendant polyether chains cause large cells when added inert gas is used as the blowing agent.