Thermal insulator and method for producing the same

• Main Authors: HASHIDA, TAKASHI, INAGAKI, FUMIHIRO, KISHIMOTO, YOSHIO, SUZUKI, MASA-AKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 15.02.1995
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; BLASTING; CHEMISTRY; COLD ROOMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT COVERED BY ANY OTHERSUBCLASS; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; HEATING; ICE-BOXES; LIGHTING; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONSONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; REFRIGERATORS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; WEAPONS; WORKING-UP

A thermal insulator of the present invention includes a foam containing solidified CO2 gas. A method for producing the thermal insulator includes the steps of: mixing a metal compound selected from the group consisting of a metal oxide and a metal hydroxide, water, a polyol component, and an isocyanate component to generate a mixture; foaming the mixture in a container to generate closed-cells made of a water-foamed polyurethane; and allowing CO2 gas generated during the foaming step to react with the selected metal compound to solidify the CO2 gas, thereby depressurizing the closed-cells in the closed-celled foam.