The majority of the I-IFC evaluations in industry have focused on the more readily available, low boiling candidates such as HFC 134a. Higher boiling HFC candidates that could be handled at ambient conditions and use current processing equipment would be more desirable. This paper will describe results from a research program of two such candidate HFCs performed as a cooperative effort between Martin Marietta Manned Space Systems, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Oak Ridge National Laboratories. The purpose of this effort was to perform a cursory evaluation of the developmental I-IFCs 245ca and 236ea as blowing agents in urethane based insulations.These two materials were selected from screening tests of 37 C2, C3, and C4 isomers based on physical properties, atmospheric lifetime, flammability, estimated toxicity, difficulty of synthesis, suitability for dual use as a refrigerant, and other factors. Solubility of the two materials in typical foam components was tested, pour foaming trials were performed, and preliminary data were gathered regarding foam insulation performance.

No abstract