Polyurethane foam (PUF) has generally been used in liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier cargo containment systems (CCSs) owing to its excellent mechanical and thermal properties over a wide range of temperatures. An LNG CCS must be designed to withstand extreme environmental conditions. However, as the insulation material for LNGC CCSs, PUF has two major limitations: its strength and thermal conductivity. In the present study, PUFs were synthesized with various weight percentages of porous silica aerogel to reinforce the characteristics of PUF used in LNG carrier insulation systems. To evaluate the mechanical strength of the PUF-silica aerogel composites considering LNG loading/unloading environmental conditions, compressive tests were conducted at room temperature (20 °C) and a cryogenic temperature (−163 °C). In addition, the thermal insulation performance and cellular structure were identified to analyze the effects of silica aerogels on cell morphology. The cell morphology of PUF-silica aerogel composites was relatively homogeneous, and the cell shape remained closed at 1 wt.% in comparison to the other concentrations. As a result, the mechanical and thermal properties were significantly improved by the addition of 1 wt.% silica aerogel to the PUF. The mechanical properties were reduced by increasing the silica aerogel content to 3 wt.% and 5 wt.%, mainly because of the pores generated on the surface of the composites.

10.3390/ma14071790

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Glass bubble reinforced polyurethane foams with high mechanical strength for cryogenic temperature insulation

Journal of Applied Polymer Science (2020)

Jeong‐Dae Kim Jeong‐Hyeon Kim Jae‐Hyeok Ahn Jae‐Myung Lee

Abstract In this study, glass bubble (GB) is added to polyurethane (PU) foams at different weight ratios—0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 wt% —to investigate the changes in the mechanical and thermal properties of the foam. By conducting several tests and measurements, the density, cell morphology, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity of the foam are studied. In particular, the effect of GB additives is examined by conducting compression tests at various temperatures (−163, −100, −40, and 20°C). Scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray microscope reveal that the foams exhibit higher stability below 0.5 wt%, which improves the thermal performance. On the other hand, the compressive strength of the foams increases for all weight ratios of GB, and it increases sharply at 0.75 wt%. In addition, the chemical interactions and the dispersion of additives in the PU matrix are investigated through Fourier transform infrared and X‐ray diffractions analysis. It is found that the synthesis of PU foams with GB nanoparticles is an efficient method for improving the mechanical properties and insulation performance of the foam for LNG insulation technology.

Thermal Stability

10.1002/app.50060

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Mechanical Behavior of Polymer Foam Reinforced with Silica Aerogel

Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology (2017)

Jae‐Hyeok Ahn Jeong-Hyeon Kim Jeong-Dae Kim Sungkyun Park Kang Hyun Park

In the present study, silica-aerogel-polyurethane foams were synthesized to improve the mechanical characteristics and insulation performance of the polyurethane foam applied to a liquefied natural gas carrier at a cryogenic temperature of â163â. A silica-aerogel-polyurethane foam bulk was prepared using a homogenizer by varying the weight ratio of the silica aerogel (0, 1, 3, and 5 wt%), while maintaining the contents of the polyol, isocyanate, and blowing agent constant. Compression tests were performed at room and cryogenic temperatures to compare the mechanical properties of the silica-aerogel polyurethane foams. The internal temperature of the universal testing machine was maintained through the cryogenic chamber. The thermal conductivity of the silica-aerogel-polyurethane foam was measured using a heat flow meter to confirm the insulation performance. In addition, the effect of the silica aerogels on the cells of the polyurethane foam was investigated using FE-SEM and FTIR. From the experimental results, the 1 wt% silica aerogel polyurethane foam showed outstanding mechanical and thermal performances.

Blowing agent

Isocyanate

Hydrophobic silica

10.26748/ksoe.2017.12.31.6.413

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Citations (3)