Polyurethane Foams Benefits, Application, Storage and Tips

TVM Polyurethane Foams TVM offers 3 different foams to suit the needs of the insulation market Low Expansion Gun Foam for your general purpose sealing, insulating and gap filling applications Low Pressure Door & Window Gun Foam to eliminate damage to your door and window frames while providing airtight insulation Formulated to reduce curing pressure Cold Weather Gun Foam for your insulation needs in colder climates Will extrude and expand at temperatures of as low as 14°F/10°C

TVM Foam Sealants Accessories 2 high quality, durable dispensers for ease of application and to improve the performance of TVM Gun Foams FD 10 Professional Made with heavy duty stainless steel Equipped with flow control valve for bead size adjustment FD 20 Intermediate Lightweight, heavy duty construction Flow control valve for bead size adjustment Both FD 10 and FD 20 have been pressure tested at production to ensure airtight seal To maintain and extend the service life of your TVM Foam Dispenser, use TVM Polyurethane Foam and Gun Cleaner

Features of FD 10 Heavy duty stainless steel barrel Sturdy trigger Flow control valve for accurate bead size adjustment High precision nozzle Ergonomic handle design Multiple thread basket for a tight seal

TVM Polyurethane Foams Benefits TVM Polyurethane Gun Foams have been formulated for superior performance TVM polyurethane foams outperform competitors in the following areas: High yield – TVM Gun Foams allow you to extrude a greater amount out of a single container High closed cells content – 70 – 80% closed cells content enhances insulation, moisture barrier performance and overall dimensional stability Consistent extrudability throughout the container Formulated with CFC-free propellant to reduce damage to the environment

Tips and Tricks – How To… There are many little tips and tricks to improve the performance of polyurethane foams How to… Improve adhesion, expansion, reduce curing time and improve cellular structure Increase yield Storing an unfinished can of foam detached from the gun Properly store a can of unfinished foam attached to gun Remove a can of unfinished foam from a gun without getting foam everywhere Increase the service life of a foam dispenser Proper foam dispenser cleaning procedure

How To… # 1 Improve Foam Curing Properties Adhesion, expansion, cellular structure, curing time Polyurethane foams react with moisture in the air to cure Amount of moisture absorbed significantly affects foam performance During regular curing process, the foam will absorb moisture within the air to cure and this takes time In dry climates: Foam will not cure to give fine, dense cellular structure Cures slowly Expand less Reduced adhesion performance

How To… # 1 Improve Foam Curing Properties Moistening the application surfaces will provide additional moisture for the foam to absorb The additional moisture will allow the foam to absorb sufficient moisture in a shorter period of time and therefore achieve: Improved adhesion Increased expansion Denser cellular structure Reduced curing time Note: Do not moisten the surface to standing water. Only moisten according to the substrates ability to absorb.

How To… # 2 Store Container of Foam on a Dispenser This is the recommended method of storing an unfinished container of foam The security seal on the container valve will be broken once connected to a dispenser As the storage period lengthens, propellant will slowly escape from the container The gas phase (propellant) within the container is lighter than the liquid phase and therefore will float to the top When storing the container in an upright position, the gas will be at the top, right below the valve To reduce the loss of propellant, store the container and the gun assembly in the direction of use In the direction of use, the gas phase will be furthest from the valve

Propellant How To… # 2 Store Container of Foam on a Dispenser Foam Compound Potential propellant loss

How To… # 3 Properly Store an Unfinished Container It is always best to store the unfinished container attached to a gun, but it is not always possible After removing the can from the dispenser, do not clean off the foam around the valve Allow the foam to cure around the valve Cured foam will act as a seal around the valve until next use When reusing the container of foam, use a cork screw or screw driver to gently remove the foam from the valve

How To… # 4 Remove an Unfinished Can of Foam Foam will typically burst out of the valve at the point of detachment from the dispenser This is caused by the sudden pressure release/pressure difference at the point of detachment To prevent this from happening, you have to release the pressure on the can during detachment Hold down the trigger to slowly dispense foam while detaching This releases the pressure and thus, minimizing the pressure difference when detaching

How To… # 5 Extend Shelf Life of a Container Shelf life of the product may be lengthened when stored in lower temperatures relative to higher temperatures Polymerization of the product begins soon after the manufacture of the container Polymerization process will result in a more viscous product More viscous product will have an increased resistance to flow and will not expand as well in comparison to less viscous product However, a more viscous product gives a finer, denser cellular structure At lower temperatures, the polymerization process is slower and thus will increase the shelf life of the product

How To… # 6 Properly Apply Foam Around Windows All joints should be foamed from the bottom up This prevents sagging of foam in large joints Never fill the full depth of joint with foam Fill according to instructions Allow sufficient time for foam to expand and fill remaining void Foam the larger joints in layers Allow sufficient time for expansion prior to foaming a new layer to prevent over filling Over filling a window joint will result in damage to the frame

Proper Foam Dispenser Maintenance There are 2 possible causes for foam to not dispense properly from the dispenser It may be a result of poor product quality issue with the container of foam It may be a result of poor/improper maintenance of the foam dispenser Proper maintenance of your foam dispense will increase its service life Eliminates/reduces the rate of dispenser replacement

Proper Foam Dispenser Maintenance # 1 When foam is not being dispensed as a straight bead or is extruded at a slow rate regardless of bead size setting A thin layer of foam may have cured over the tip of the nozzle This is caused by improper cleaning between use Using a soft tool, remove the layer of foam from the tip Be careful not to damage the tip of the nozzle as this will damage the seal, causing foam to cure within the barrel

Foam Dispenser Cleaning Between Use TVM Polyurethane Foam and Gun Cleaner in Action

Proper Foam Dispenser Maintenance # 2 When foam fails to extrude from the can May be caused by a lack or absence of propellant Shake the can, and listen for the gas blending within the can. If it sounds solid, then the gas has escaped the container Foam may have cured in the Teflon adaptor in or around the ball valve 1.Remove the can and flush out the collar of the gun with an acetone based cleaner 2.Flush out the adaptor with the cleaner and gently push against the ball valve while pulling the trigger 3.Screw on a can of cleaner, pull the trigger and flush cleaner through the gun

Proper Foam Dispenser Maintenance # 3 To extend the service life of your foam dispenser, proper cleaning procedures are critical as preventative maintenance The foam dispenser does not need to be cleaned with every container change Only clean the dispenser with acetone based cleaner after approximately 20 cans 1.Clear the gun basket with the cleaner 2.Attach the cleaner to the gun basket 3.Dispense a little cleaner and allow the cleaner to sit in the gun barrel for 1 – 2 minutes 4.Apply pressure on the trigger to release the cleaner in the barrel and remove the acetone container

Frequently Asked Questions 1.A customer complained about incorrectly cured foam, is it possible to determine if there was a lack of humidity during foam application? Cut the foam apart when possible Look for a discoloration from bright beige (the foams normal color) to a brownish color or The cured foam will feel hard and brittle at the center or If investigating shortly after the complaint, look for An uncured sticky brownish core within the foam layer

Frequently Asked Questions 2.What needs to be considered if metal pipes (steel, copper etc.) are covered with one-component polyurethane foam? Metal pipes have to be covered with a coating Rate of corrosion may be accelerated between the foam and the metal surface as a result of condensation by the material running through the pipe (e.g. cold water)

Frequently Asked Questions 3.Can foam be used to fill hollow profiles? TVM does not advise the use of foam to fill hollow profiles Insufficient humidity within the profile for proper cure Air/humidity will not reach the center of the profile for proper curing

Frequently Asked Questions 4.Why does the color of the foam vary from one batch to another? Isocyanate propellant used within the foam is supplied by many refineries around the world Propellant is of a brownish color and the shade of the brown may vary among the different suppliers 5.Why does the color of the foam change over time? As the isocyanate ages, brownish color will darken

Frequently Asked Questions 6.How can I obtain higher yields in colder weather? For use of regular foam, temperature must still be above 41°F for proper expansion and curing Humidity tends to be lower during cold winter months Moisten application surfaces with water prior to application to increase expansion