Strange but true!
von Angela Austin
We are all familiar with the versatility of polyurethane and how scientists amongst us strive to overcome the challenges of new applications, the development of new raw materials, environmental and safety concerns and so on… And yet strange and unexpected situations can still happen… here are a few examples that have crossed my desk recently.
Polyurethanes Today, the magazine of the Indian PU Association, recently reported the strange case of an air conditioning installer who decided to take his own life by drinking the chemicals with which he worked – polyol and MDI. On admission to hospital it was found that the two chemicals had reacted fully to fill the void into which they had been poured and had created a replica of his insides. The report stated that the piece of rigid foam was removed intact in a straightforward operation. It did not however comment on the health of the patient after the procedure…but one assumes that he survived.
A solar powered plane, which has a lightweight rigid polyurethane foam cockpit, has crossed the USA from San Francisco to New York in a five stage journey, during which it was stored in an inflatable hangar. In 2015 the plane will attempt to fly around the world!
After years of research and use by the polyurethane industry of alternative blowing agents to CFCs and HCFCs, the UK Environment Agency has recently carried out a study to assess the flammability of refrigerator insulation foam blown with hydrocarbons. The study found that all tested foam samples should be considered “highly flammable”, and, as such, should be classified as hazardous waste, unless tested and demonstrated otherwise. The London Fire Brigade also contributed to the argument by stating that fridges and freezers are the “most dangerous household appliance when involved in a fire”. They consider that these appliances pose a significant risk to occupants if a house fire starts, because if this insulation ignites, a fire can develop quickly.
Natural polyols based on tallow (animal fat) have been successfully developed and tested. They have been found to produce excellent results when used in moulded flexible foam formulations. However, the product has been deemed unsuitable for fear of offending vegetarians, Hindus, Muslims, and Jews as well as performing badly in an LCA, which has to take into account the GHG production of the animals.
As we all know, methane has a high GWP!
Keep up the good research!
Angela Austin