When the components are mixed togheter, the reaction starts and some CO2 is released. This CO2 allows to inflate the compound. After that growth phase is finished, the solidification starts. The solidification process is similar to a polymerization. All the process (from liquid to solid phase) occurs in about 30 seconds after the end of mixing. The reaction is exothermic and produces heat. The Foam is formed by cells of very little dimensions.
Our mixing system consists in a static mixer. This is a special rigid pipe containing a special twist. The two liquids are forced to pass in this spiral and to mix, also thanks to the turbulent flow regime caused by this kind of mixer.
In general, temperature influences the viscosity of fluids and this influences the semplicity of mixing and indirectly the speed of reaction. The more components are cold, the more the reaction is slow. In general this is not a problem, but using the static mixer it is important to have a low viscosity and this means a range of temperature between 20°C and 60°C
The mechanical properties of the foam depend strictly from the final density. The density is controlled by the expansion, so more density means less and higher mechanical performances.
