MAP-R06C
MAP-R06C
Northstar Polymers, LLC
3444 Dight Avenue So.
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Tel: 612.721.2911
Fax: 612.721.1009
E-Mail: info@northstarpolymers.com
Northstar Polymers, LLC is a member of Polyurethane Manufacturers Association.
Copy right reserved by Northstar Polymers, LLC 2000 - 2007. Northstar Polymer prohibits duplication of the contents of this web site for the purposes of public display and/or using on another web site without a written authorization by Northstar Polymers, LLC.
MAP-R06C
(5.5 lbs/cuft Density Semi-Rigid Structural Foam)
MPP-R06C is one of our polyurethane foam formulations. It is closed-cell foam with a good structural integrity and an enhanced skin quality. Unlike polyurethane rigid foams, the physical properties of a cured product have slight flexibility so it resists cracking and chipping-off upon an impact. The application of this foam includes backing structure for flexible concrete molds, various molded light load-bearing parts, and other specialty applications.
Component Typical Properties
Prepolymer (A) Curing Agent (B) Product Code: MPN-023 APX-005 Specific Gravity: 1.173 1.020 Equivalent Weight: 225.9 51.0 %NCO 18.6 n/a
Mixing Ratio:
Part-A :Part-B Volume Ratio: 4.000 :1.000 Weight Ratio: 1.000 :0.218
Stoichiometry NCO/OH = 1.000/0.965
NCO Index: 1.036
Processing Temperature:
Part-A: Ambient Part-B: Ambient Mold/Substrate: Ambient Post Cure Oven: 100 -120°F (If needed) (Mold may need to be heated to 100 – 120 °F if aluminum or steel mold is used.)
Cure Pattern:
Mixing time 10 - 15 seconds by hand batch Pot life (pour within) 30 - 40 seconds Demolding time 15 - 25 minutes with mold temperature 110 °F Complete Cure Cycle: 1-2 days at room temperature
Recommended Processing (For Hand-Mixing Test):
We recommend testing small amounts to see how the material actually behaves, then develop your processing method accordingly. When you process/test, please be sure to operate in a well-ventilated area or large open area, wear rubber gloves, long sleeves, and protective eyeglasses to avoid skin/eye contact. Read the enclosed Material Safety Data Sheet for details on the safety and handling.
*Before you start your test, inspect both components A and B. In winter, there is a chance the part-A material being frozen during the transportation. If part-A has been frozen, you would see some gel-like chunks in the material. In such case, you need to heat the part-A component to 140 – 160 °F to thaw and agitate the content by rolling the container. If you open the part-A container, be sure to purge and blanket the material with dry nitrogen gas and shut the air-tight lid. Do not use wooden paint stick as it has moisture within, which to contaminate the material. After agitating the component, keep the component in a room temperature above 70 ºF. These materials will not freeze at room temperature. Do not storing part-A component at a high temperature; this accelerates deterioration of the quality. Part-B component is less likely to freeze. However, under a very cold weather it may freeze and separate. Part-B can be thawed by heating it to 140 -160 °F, or leaving it at room temperature for a few days; agitate after part-B is thawed.
If you are using an aluminum mold or steel mold, you may need to pre-heat the mold and substrate to between 100 and 110 ºF. The material creates heat from a chemical reaction. This heat is needed to cure the material. If the material is directly in contact with a large heat absorbing material, such as aluminum mold, steel mold, or metal/stone object, this heat is taken away from the foam to cure. Heating the mold too hot could lead to shrinkage of the foam after it is cooled. Keep the temperature within 100 to 120 °F range if auxiliary heat is needed.
Apply mold release on the mold, if necessary. Do not use silicone-base mold release as it destroys the foam surface.
Take the correct ratio of part-A and part-B into a mixing cup. Mix well with a steel or plastic stir stick for 20 to 30 seconds. Agitate vigorously and thoroughly. Scrape the material off the side and bottom of the cup as you mix. If you are using a hand-held power tool for mixing, you should be sure to scrape the material off the side and bottom of the mixing container to ensure thorough mixing.
The pot life for this material is relatively short. There is a limit to how much you can mix well by hands. Employing a meter mixing/casting machine may be best for you production if your part is large or requires a quantity to produce.
Cast the mixture into the mold. (See the following section for compression molding.)
Cure the foam in the mold for at least 15 to 20 minutes before demolding. Please check the strength of the foam surface before demolding. The foam is still soft and fragile at this point. Conduct your evaluation test at least 24 hours after the mixing. The open top surface may still be tacky at this point, but this normal. If you have a thin section that is structurally weak, you may need to leave it in the mold for a longer time.
Store at room temperature for 24 hours to complete the cure cycle before evaluation.
Because of closed cell structure, the foam will slightly shrink after it is cured. The linear shrinkage should be less than 2%. If you part requires tighter tolerance, you may need to modify your mold to compensate the shrinkage.
Compression Molding
Since the liquid mixture does not fill the mold, the foam needs to fill the mold space with its expansion pressure. By slightly larger amount of foam into a closed mold, you can obtain a better resolution from the mold. The expansion pressure of the foam sends the foam material to fill the mold to the expected shape.
The mold therefore needs to be close mold with a capacity to retain the internal pressure. A simplest compression mold will be an open-top box with a lid. The lid needs to be clamped by c-clamps or furniture clamps to hold the pressure. The air trapped in the mold could make large voids if it is not let out. For this purpose, you need to have very small vent holes to let the trapped air escape from the mold. You may need to actually try foaming the material to see what parts of the mold have tendency to trap air; then create vents to those places.
The mold material can be metal, plastic, or elastomeric material. Mold surface needs to be slick as foam could stick to any porous surface. Metal molds tend to absorb the heat. Heat created from the urethane reaction is required for foam to cure properly. If mold is cold, this heat is absorbed and the foam does not cure properly. The mold needs to be heat to 100 to 120 ºF in case of metal molds. If your mold is made of a plastic or elastomeric material, such as silicone rubber, epoxy, and urethane, this may not be necessary. Please test and determine the optimal temperature for your mold. You may need to machine off the small amount of material squeezing out from the vent holes.
Compression rate is the rate in which how much more material you would put in to create the pressure. Typically, about 10 % compression should give enough pressure to distribute the foam within the mold. This means you need to add 10% more of the material than the volume free-risen foam would fill. Using higher rate makes the foam denser and stronger.
If you see many small voids in the foam, this may be because the material is cast in while the mixture is creaming and loosing its flow. If creamed material is mechanically stirred, it may trap air and make those bubbles. To prevent this, try casting the material within the pot life or before the material is too thick.
In case the mold is thin and it is placed in a vertical position, if the material touches the side wall of the mold and starts to cream/foam from the side wall, this could create many small air pockets as well. If the compression rate is high, these small voids may be shrunk to invisible sizes. Try not to get the material on the side wall when you are pouring the material in the mold. Changing the position of the mold may help alleviating this problem.
Other Information
Applications that requires fire-retardant property:
This foam is not fire-retardant foam, and it is not recommended for applications, which require or should be using fire-retardant grade materials. The applications such as automotive interior, building material, and components for some electronic parts often require fire-retardant grade materials by law. It is the user's responsibility to conform to the applicable regulations. We also do not recommend this foam to be used to the applications in which the foam can be exposed to high temperature or being near an ignition source.
By adding fire retardant additives, this foam may be modified to fire-retardant grade foam. The user must test the foam modified with the fire retardant additives for the fire-retardant property and the conformance to the applicable regulations.
Storage:
Part-A component (prepolymer) contains isocyanate component, which is very much sensitive to moisture. If it is left in air, part-A will react with atmospheric moisture and will be ruined. This reaction is non-reversible. Soon after opening a can and dispensing the content, nitrogen gas or negative-40-degree-due-point dry air needs to be injected to the can to blanket the material. Silica gel or calcium chloride desiccant filter should be installed to 55 gallon drum-vent for your drum feeding system. The storage temperature should be at a room temperature between 65 and 90 ºF.
Part-B component may be hygroscopic. If the material is exposed to ambient air, it may absorb moisture. Moisture contaminated part-B material may become source of degradation or excessive bubbles in the product. Avoid exposure of the material to air. Purging the empty space in the container with nitrogen gas or negative-40-degree-due-point dry air is also recommended to prevent moisture contamination of part-B as well. The storage temperature should be at a room temperature between 65 and 90 ºF.
Safety:
The component materials are industrial-grade chemicals. Please keep them in a secure place and prevent access from any unauthorized individual. The personnel who handle these materials need to read the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for detail information on safety and handling of the material. The MSDS for each component is sent with the shipment of the material.
Whenever using this material, please be sure to operate in a wide-open area with good air movement or in a well-ventilated area. Wear rubber gloves, long sleeves, and protective eyeglasses to prevent skin/eye contact of the material. When your operation involves heating or spraying of the material, we recommend, in addition to the above, installation of a proper ventilation system and using a half-face respirator recommended for the use to prevent inhalation of the fume.
Direct contact of polyurethane raw materials to skin/eye, as well as ingestion may lead to health problems. No eating or smoking should be permitted at the working area. The operator should wash hands well with soap and water after handling the materials. Please refer to the MSDS for each component for the detailed health information.
For any questions, please contact Northstar Polymers.
Notice: All of the statements, recommendations, suggestions, and data concerning the subject material are based on our laboratory results, and although we believe the same to be reliable, we expressly do not represent, warrant, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of same, or the material or the results to be obtained from the use thereof, neither do we warrant that any such use, either alone or in combination with other materials, shall be free of the rightful claim of any third party by way of INFRINGEMENT or the like, and NORTHSTAR POLYMERS DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OF MERCHANTABILITY and FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
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Northstar Polymers, LLC
3444 Dight Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Tel: 612.721.2911
E-Mail: info@northstarpolymers.com