Thermo-Physical Properties of Liquefied Polyurethane Foams at High Temperatures and Pressures

Polyurethane foams are used for a wide variety of household and industrial applications including thermal insulating material, shock absorption, and cushioning in furniture.  In a high-temperature (> 300 °C) high-pressure (> 200 psi) environment (e.g. a confined fire), the crosslinks in polyurethane foam break down, which causes a liquid to form.  The flammable-pressurized liquid can then migrate, moving heat to other parts of a system.  Over the last four years we have collected data on the thermo-physical parameters of liquefied polymethyl-diisocyanate foams at high temperatures and pressures including: rheology, thermal conductivity, heat capacity, density, vapor pressure, and radiative heat-transfer coefficients.  In this talk we will discuss these measurements and some of the challenges encountered in obtaining data at high temperatures and pressures.