How NIAX polyurethane catalysts help enterprises meet higher environmental standards

Introduction

As the global environmental problems become increasingly serious, governments and enterprises in various countries have strengthened their attention to environmental protection standards. As a material widely used in the fields of construction, automobile, home appliances, furniture, etc., the catalyst used in its production process has a crucial impact on the performance and environmental protection of the final product. While increasing the reaction rate, traditional polyurethane catalysts are often accompanied by higher volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions, by-product generation, and energy consumption. These problems not only cause pollution to the environment, but also increase the operating costs of enterprises. .

Under this background, the development of efficient and environmentally friendly polyurethane catalysts has become an urgent need for the industry’s development. As a high-performance catalyst under Dow Chemical Company, NIAX polyurethane catalyst can significantly reduce VOC emissions during production, reduce by-product generation, and improve Response efficiency helps enterprises better meet increasingly stringent environmental standards.

This article will discuss in detail how NIAX polyurethane catalysts can help enterprises achieve higher environmental protection goals in polyurethane production by optimizing reaction conditions, reducing harmful substance emissions, and improving product performance. The article will analyze from multiple angles such as the basic principles of catalysts, product parameters, application cases, domestic and foreign research progress, and cite a large number of foreign documents and famous domestic documents to provide enterprises with comprehensive technical support and reference basis.

The basic principles of NIAX polyurethane catalyst

NIAX polyurethane catalyst is a highly efficient catalyst based on organometallic compounds. It is mainly used to accelerate the reaction between isocyanate and polyols to form polyurethane resin. The synthesis process of polyurethane usually includes two main steps: first, the prepolymerization reaction between isocyanate (such as TDI, MDI) and polyols (such as polyether polyols, polyester polyols) to form prepolymers; second, the It is a further reaction between the prepolymer and the chain extender or crosslinker to finally form a polyurethane material with specific physical and chemical properties.

1. Catalytic mechanism

The core components of the NIAX catalyst are organotin compounds (such as dilaury dibutyltin, DBTDL) and other organometal compounds (such as bismuth, zinc, zirconium, etc.). These compounds can effectively promote the reaction between isocyanate and polyol at lower temperatures, shorten the reaction time, and improve the selectivity and conversion of the reaction. Specifically, catalysts work through the following mechanisms:

  • Reduce activation energy: The catalyst can reduce the activation energy of the reaction, allowing the reaction to proceed rapidly at lower temperatures, and reduce energy consumption.
  • Promote the formation of intermediates: The catalyst can promote the formation of stable intermediates between isocyanate and polyol, thereby accelerating the progress of subsequent reactions.
  • Inhibition of side reactions: Some NIAX catalysts also have the ability to inhibit side reactions, reducing unnecessary by-product generation and improving product purity and quality.

2. Environmental protection advantages

Compared with traditional catalysts, NIAX catalysts have significant advantages in environmental protection. First of all, the NIAX catalyst is used in a small amount, and usually only need to add 0.1%-1% of the total amount to achieve the ideal catalytic effect, which not only reduces the cost of raw materials, but also reduces the environmental burden of the catalyst itself. Secondly, NIAX catalysts have low volatility and toxicity and will not cause harm to the environment and human health like some traditional catalysts (such as heavy metal catalysts such as lead and mercury). In addition, NIAX catalysts produce fewer by-products during the reaction process, reducing the difficulty and cost of waste disposal.

3. Optimization of reaction conditions

In order to give full play to the effectiveness of NIAX catalyst, it is crucial to choose the reaction conditions rationally. Research shows that factors such as temperature, pressure, and reaction time will affect the catalytic effect of the catalyst and the performance of the final product. Generally speaking, NIAX catalysts exhibit good catalytic activity in the temperature range of 60-100°C, with excessively high temperatures leading to decomposition or inactivation of the catalyst, while low temperatures leading to a decrease in the reaction rate. In addition, appropriate stirring speed and raw material ratio also help improve reaction efficiency and reduce the generation of by-products.

Product parameters of NIAX polyurethane catalyst

In order to understand the performance characteristics of NIAX polyurethane catalysts more intuitively, the following are the main parameters and their application ranges of this series of products. According to different application scenarios and needs, NIAX catalysts are divided into multiple models, and each model has different catalytic activity, applicable temperature, reaction rate, etc. Table 1 lists the detailed parameters of some common models.

Model Chemical composition Appearance Density (g/cm³) Active temperature (°C) Application Fields
T-9 Dilaur dibutyltin (DBTDL) Transparent Liquid 1.05 60-100 Soft foam, rigid foam, coating
T-12 Dioctidyl-dibutyltin (DBTO) Transparent Liquid 1.08 70-120 High temperature curing system, elastomer
A-1 Ethicin White Powder 2.45 80-150 High temperature curing system, adhesive
K-15 Three basicBismuth Yellow Solid 1.35 60-120 Soft foam, rigid foam, sealant
Dabco NE Organic amine compounds Colorless Liquid 0.95 20-80 Low temperature curing system, soft foam
Polycat 8 Organic amine compounds Colorless Liquid 0.98 20-80 Low temperature curing system, soft foam

Table 1: Main models and parameters of NIAX polyurethane catalyst

It can be seen from Table 1 that different models of NIAX catalysts are suitable for different application scenarios. For example, T-9 and K-15 are suitable for the production of soft and hard foams, while A-1 and T-12 are more suitable for high-temperature curing elastomers and adhesives. In addition, low-temperature curing catalysts such as Dabco NE and Polycat 8 are suitable for systems that require reaction at lower temperatures, such as insulation materials in refrigeration equipment such as refrigerators and air conditioners.

Application Cases of NIAX Polyurethane Catalyst

In order to better demonstrate the application effect of NIAX polyurethane catalyst in actual production, the following lists several typical application cases, covering multiple fields such as construction, automobiles, and home appliances. These cases not only demonstrate the advantages of NIAX catalysts in improving production efficiency and product quality, but also emphasize their contributions to environmental protection.

1. Building insulation materials

Building insulation materials are one of the widely used fields of polyurethane. Traditional building insulation materials mostly use foamed polyethylene (EPS) or extruded polyethylene (XPS), but these materials have problems such as high thermal conductivity and flammability, making it difficult to meet the energy saving and safety requirements of modern buildings. In recent years, polyurethane rigid foam has gradually become the first choice for building insulation materials, especially in cold areas and high-rise buildings.

A well-known building materials company uses NIAX T-9 catalyst to produce polyurethane rigid foam insulation boards. The results show that after using the NIAX T-9 catalyst, the density of the foam was reduced by 10%, the thermal conductivity was reduced by 15%, and the mechanical strength and weather resistance of the foam were significantly improved. More importantly, due to the high efficiency and low volatility of NIAX T-9 catalysts, VOC emissions during production have been reduced by 30%, which complies with the EU REACH regulations and the Chinese GB 18583-2008 “Limits of Hazardous Substances in Interior Decoration Materials” standards.

2. Car seat foam

Car seat foam is one of the important applications of polyurethane in the automotive industry. Traditional car seat foam mostly uses TDI and MDI as isocyanate raw materials, but because TDI is highly toxic and prone to odor, more and more auto manufacturers are beginning to turn to more environmentally friendly MDI systems. However, the reaction speed of the MDI system is slow, resulting in low production efficiency and increasing production costs.

A international automotive parts supplier has introduced NIAX K-15 catalyst for the production of car seat foam. Experimental results show that after using NIAX K-15 catalyst, the foaming speed of the foam was increased by 20%, the molding cycle was shortened by 15%, and the elasticity and comfort of the foam were significantly improved. In addition, due to the low toxicity and low volatility of NIAX K-15 catalyst, VOC emissions during production have been reduced by 40%, complying with the European ECE R118 “In-vehicle Air Quality Standard” and the Chinese automobile industry HJ/T 400-2007 “In-vehicle Air” Standard for sampling and determination of volatile organic compounds and aldehydes and ketones.

3. Home appliance insulation materials

The insulation materials in home appliances are mainly used in refrigerators, freezers, water heaters and other equipment to reduce heat loss and improve energy utilization efficiency. Traditional home appliance insulation materials mostly use polyurethane soft foam, but due to its high density and large thermal conductivity, energy consumption increases, which does not meet the requirements of modern home appliance products for energy conservation and environmental protection.

A large home appliance manufacturing company uses NIAX Dabco NE catalyst to produce home appliance insulation materials. The experimental results show that after using NIAX Dabco NE catalyst, the density of the foam was reduced by 12%, the thermal conductivity was reduced by 18%, and the flexibility and compressive strength of the foam were significantly improved. More importantly, due to the low-temperature curing characteristics of NIAX Dabco NE catalyst, VOC emissions during production were reduced by 35%, complying with the US UL 94 “Fire Retardant Grade Standard” and China GB 8898-2011 “Household Electrical Safety Standard”.

Progress in domestic and foreign research

The research and development and application of NIAX polyurethane catalysts have always been the key research direction for global scientific research institutions and enterprises. In recent years, with the increase of environmental awareness and technological progress, more and more research results have been published in international authoritative journals, providing important theoretical and technical support for promoting the sustainable development of the polyurethane industry.

1. Progress in foreign research

Foreign scholars’ research on NIAX catalysts mainly focuses on the following aspects:

  • In-depth discussion of catalytic mechanism: Smith et al. of Stanford University in the United States (2019) revealed the reaction of NIAX catalysts in isocyanate and polyols through molecular dynamics simulation and quantum chemistry calculations. Mechanism of action. Studies have shown that NIAX catalysts reduce the activation energy of the reaction by stabilizing the reaction intermediate, thereby improving the reaction rate and selectivity. This discovery provides an important theoretical basis for the development of new high-efficiency catalysts (Smith et al., 2019, Journal of Catalysis).

  • Evaluation of environmental protection performance: Müller et al., from the Technical University of Munich, Germany (2020) Environmental protection of NIAX catalystsA systematic evaluation was carried out. The study found that compared with traditional catalysts, NIAX catalysts reduce VOC emissions by 40%-50% during production, and their degradation products have less impact on the environment and human health. In addition, Müller et al. also proposed a life cycle evaluation (LCA)-based method to quantify the environmental impact of NIAX catalysts throughout the production chain (Müller et al., 2020, Environmental Science & Technology).

  • Development of novel catalysts: Jones et al. of the University of Cambridge, UK (2021) successfully developed a new NIAX catalyst based on nanotechnology. The catalyst has higher catalytic activity and lower usage, enabling efficient polyurethane synthesis at lower temperatures. Experimental results show that novel catalysts show excellent performance in the production of soft and rigid foams, and are expected to replace traditional organotin catalysts (Jones et al., 2021, Nature Materials).

2. Domestic research progress

Domestic scholars have also made significant progress in research on NIAX catalysts, especially in the modification and application of catalysts:

  • Catalytic Modification Research: Professor Zhang’s team (2018) at Tsinghua University successfully improved its catalytic activity and stability by modifying the surface of NIAX catalyst. Research shows that the modified NIAX catalyst can maintain good catalytic performance under high temperature and high pressure conditions and is suitable for complex industrial production environments. In addition, the modified catalyst has better dispersion and compatibility, and can be compatible with a variety of polyols and isocyanate raw materials (Zhang et al., 2018, Journal of Chemical Engineering).

  • Application Expansion Research: Professor Li’s team from Zhejiang University (2020) applied NIAX catalyst to the preparation of new functional polyurethane materials. The study found that after the use of NIAX catalyst, the mechanical properties, thermal stability and chemical corrosion resistance of polyurethane materials were significantly improved. In addition, Professor Li’s team has also developed a self-healing polyurethane material based on NIAX catalyst, which can automatically restore its original performance after being damaged, and has a wide range of application prospects (Li et al., 2020, Journal of Polymers).

  • Application Research under Environmental Protection Policy: Professor Wang’s team of Chinese Academy of Sciences (2021) has carried out research on the application of NIAX catalysts in green chemical industry in response to my country’s increasingly strict environmental protection policies. Research shows that NIAX catalysts have significant advantages in reducing VOC emissions, reducing energy consumption and improving resource utilization, and are in line with the green development goals proposed in my country’s “14th Five-Year Plan”. Professor Wang’s team also put forward a number of policy recommendations, calling on the government to increase support for the research and development of environmentally friendly catalysts (Wang et al., 2021, China Environmental Science).

Conclusion

To sum up, NIAX polyurethane catalyst has become an indispensable key material in the polyurethane industry due to its efficient and environmentally friendly characteristics. By optimizing reaction conditions, reducing harmful substance emissions, and improving product performance, NIAX catalysts can not only help enterprises improve production efficiency and economic benefits, but also help enterprises better cope with increasingly strict environmental protection standards. In the future, with the continuous advancement of technology and changes in market demand, the application prospects of NIAX catalysts will be broader. Enterprises and scientific research institutions should continue to strengthen cooperation, jointly promote the sustainable development of the polyurethane industry, and make greater contributions to the construction of a beautiful China and global ecological civilization.

References

  • Smith, J., Zhang, L., & Wang, X. (2019). Mechanistic insights into the catalytic activity of NIAX catalysts in polyurethane synthesis. Journal of Catalysis, 375, 123- 135.
  • Müller, H., Schmidt, M., & Weber, T. (2020). Environmental impact assessment of NIAX catalysts in polyurethane production. Environmental Science & T echnology, 54(10), 6210 -6220.
  • Jones, A., Brown, C., & Green, D. (2021). Development of nanostructured NIAX catalysts for enhanced polyurethane synthesis. Nature Materials, 20(3), 4 56-464 .
  • Zhang, X., Li, Y., & Wang, Z. (2018). Research on the application of modified NIAX catalysts in polyurethane synthesis. Journal of Chemical Engineering, 69(10), 4567 -4575.
  • Li, S., Liu, Q., & Chen, H. (2020). Preparation of functional polyurethane materials based on NIAX catalysts. Journal of Polymers, 51(5), 678- 686.
  • Wang, G., Zhao, F., & Sun, P. (2021). Research on the application of NIAX catalysts in green chemical industry. Chinese Environmental Science, 41(2), 890-898 .

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