{"id":124414,"date":"2020-06-17T16:48:37","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T14:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/concentrol.com\/silicone-surfactants-for-low-content-of-aldehyde-and-aromatic-emissions-pu-foam\/"},"modified":"2025-07-23T15:46:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T13:46:19","slug":"silicone-surfactants-for-low-content-of-aldehyde-and-aromatic-emissions-pu-foam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hosting175685eu-cp704.wordpresstemporal.com\/de\/silicone-surfactants-for-low-content-of-aldehyde-and-aromatic-emissions-pu-foam\/","title":{"rendered":"Silicone surfactants for low content of aldehyde and aromatic emissions PU foam"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Polyurethanes were invented in 1937 by Otto Bayer and his co-workers<\/span>. Flexible PU foams were developed and used in car seats in the early 1950s. In the 1990s, the first low-emission foams were developed and, due to emanations control, were extended to subsurface materials used, such as seat cushions. Raw material suppliers were asked to explore the sources of the emanations and work with OEMs to reduce their overall quantity. At that time, silicone surfactants played a key role in low emissions. A general overview on the emissions and the analytical methods used to analyze PU foam emissions was published in 2018<\/span>, but it focused mainly on emissions under well-established methods such as VDA 278<\/span>, which is one of the standard European methods. As other markets such as the Asia-Pacific economic zone may have different requirements and quality standards when emissions are considered, we summarize in this paper the main volatile components currently monitored in this region and how they are analyzed. We also discuss analytical data regarding the contribution of silicone surfactants to emissions and how they can be improved to meet customer requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Introduction<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Automotive market leading OEMs are pursuing a reduction in emission from their plastic<\/span><\/p>\n

    components following the trend of customers worldwide looking for less emission-intensive environmental conditions. Low volatile organic components (VOC) are thus a requirement of the industry and different methods have been used worldwide for the material testing. Some requirements are generally recognized in some countries or economic areas, like the VDA (Verband der Automobilindustrie) methods in Europe, while other methods are specific for each car producer and they have some differences that make it difficult to obtain standardized methods and comparable values.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    In the Asia Pacific economic zone, the control of the emissions of very volatile compounds, specifically a group of aldehydes and aromatic substances, besides the odor control on plastic components has taken a major importance in the last years.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    The main concern is a list of very volatile substances, being the most analyzed ones summarized in table 1.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Substance<\/b><\/td>\nformula<\/b><\/td>\nStructure<\/b><\/td>\nCAS No<\/b><\/td>\nMw (g\/mol)<\/b><\/td>\nBoiling point (\u00baC)<\/b><\/td>\nToxicity (*)<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Benzene<\/span><\/td>\nC<\/span>6<\/span>H<\/span>6<\/span><\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n71-43-2<\/span><\/td>\n78.11<\/span><\/td>\n80<\/span><\/td>\n3.3 g\/kg<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Toluene<\/span><\/td>\nC<\/span>7<\/span>H<\/span>8<\/span><\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n108-88-3<\/span><\/td>\n92.14<\/span><\/td>\n111<\/span><\/td>\n7.53 g\/kg<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Ethylbenzene<\/span><\/td>\nC<\/span>8<\/span>H<\/span>10<\/span><\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n100-414<\/span><\/td>\n106.17<\/span><\/td>\n136<\/span><\/td>\n5.46 g\/kg<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Xylene<\/span><\/td>\nC<\/span>8<\/span>H<\/span>10<\/span><\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n1330-20-7<\/span><\/td>\n106.17<\/span><\/td>\n137-140<\/span><\/td>\n4.3 g\/kg<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Styrene<\/span><\/td>\nC<\/span>8<\/span>H<\/span>8<\/span><\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n100-42-5<\/span><\/td>\n104.15<\/span><\/td>\n145<\/span><\/td>\n4.94 g\/kg<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Formaldehyde<\/span><\/td>\nCH<\/span>2<\/span>O<\/span><\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n50-00-0<\/span><\/td>\n30.03<\/span><\/td>\n97(37% solution)<\/span><\/p>\n

    19.5 (pure)<\/span><\/td>\n

    		0.5 g\/kg<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Acetaldehyde<\/span><\/td>\nC<\/span>2<\/span>H<\/span>4<\/span>O<\/span><\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n75-07-0<\/span><\/td>\n44.05<\/span><\/td>\n65-82<\/span><\/td>\n1.93 g\/kg<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Acrolein<\/span><\/td>\nC<\/span>3<\/span>H<\/span>4<\/span>O<\/span><\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n107-02-8<\/span><\/td>\n56.06<\/span><\/td>\n53<\/span><\/td>\n0.046 g\/kg<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Propionaldehyde<\/span><\/td>\nC<\/span>3<\/span>H<\/span>6<\/span>O<\/span><\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n123-38-6<\/span><\/td>\n58.08<\/span><\/td>\n48<\/span><\/td>\n1.4 g\/kg<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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    Table 1: Properties of volatile substances (considered as VOC) analyzed in Asia-Pacific economic zone. (*) LD50 orally in rats.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

    The list of volatile substances includes a variety of aromatic structures, three aldehydes and acrolein. They are characterized by a low boiling point (below 150 \u00b0C), and regarding its toxicity (based on LD50 (lethal dose to kill 50% of test population) data), the values are quite variable, ranging from dangerous substances like acrolein and formaldehyde to substances with less toxicity like toluene.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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    Some of the above substances cause also odor. This is a general complaint of consumers when they get in close contact with goods that contain plastic parts, especially when they are recently produced. Odor is a very sensitive feeling and it has been regarded as extremely difficult to quantitatively ascertain odors through equipment analysis. Many chemicals have odor, and so generally speaking, odor components are said to be substances with a molecular weight of around 20 \u2013 400 g\/mol.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    As an example, the following chemicals analyzed as odor substances under the specifications of some methods (according to Hyundai-Kia MS 300-55):<\/span><\/p>\n

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