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A model of the manufacture of rigid polyurethane foams by free rising is presented. The extent of cream and rise periods as well as the amount of blowing agent necessary to give the desired foam density are theoretically predicted. The rate of blowing agent evaporation is calculated from an experimental boiling temperature vs. composition curve. Experimental runs were carried out with a formulation consisting of a polymeric isocyanate, a polyether polyol based on sorbitol, a silicone‐polyol block‐copolymer as surfactant, dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst, and trichlorofluoromethane as blowing agent. Mixing was performed in situ in the mold using a commercial foaming machine. Experimental results gave a satisfactory agreement with model predictions. A diagram containing all the relevant information may be theoretically built and used for the selection of adequate operating parameters for a given formulation.

A model describing the expansion of a polyurethane (PU) foam in a closed mold is developed. An energy balance is stated, together with constitutive equations for the vaporization rate of the foaming agent and the polymerization kinetics. A numerical solution is obtained for an experimentally-characterized PU formulation. It is shown that in order to avoid premature gelling or undesirable density distributions, the wall temperature must be close to the initial one. The relative fraction of skin in the foam may be increased by decreasing the part thickness or by adding less catalyst or more blowing agent to the formulation. Factors affecting cream, rise, and process times are discussed.

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