Polyurethane can be found almost everywhere, and FlackTek™ has provided solutions in processing for years.
Polyurethanes are used in many products and processes, from high-resilience foam seating, rigid foam insulation panels, microcellular foam seals/gaskets, coatings, durable elastomeric wheels, golf balls, tires, roller coaster wheels, shopping cart wheels, elevator bushings, skateboard wheels, automotive suspension bushings, electrical potting compounds, high-performance adhesives, surface coatings, and sealants.
Benefits Include:
Efficient Mixing of Polyurethane Components: FlackTek™ technology offers rapid and thorough mixing of polyol and isocyanate components, essential for high-quality polyurethane production.
Elimination of Air Bubbles: Ensures air-free formulations, which is critical for the integrity and performance of polyurethane products.
Temperature Control Capabilities: Advanced models provide precise temperature regulation to protect heat-sensitive components during mixing, preventing premature reactions.
Non-Contaminating Process: Disposable mixing containers prevent cross-contamination, maintaining the purity of formulations.
Versatile Batch Sizes: Accommodates various batch volumes, suitable for both small-scale development and large-scale manufacturing.
Homogeneous Dispersion of Fillers and Additives: Achieves uniform distribution of pigments, flame retardants, and other additives, enhancing product properties.
We Can Help You Process:
Flexible Foams (e.g., cushioning, mattresses)
Rigid Foams (e.g., insulation panels)
Elastomers (e.g., seals, gaskets)
Adhesives and Sealants
Coatings and Finishes
Binders for Composites
Casting Resins
Polyurethane Dispersions
Thermoplastic Polyurethanes (TPUs)
Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) Systems
Common Challenges and Solutions
The Challenge: The presence of moisture can lead to undesirable effects such as hydrolysis, degradation, and reduced mechanical properties, necessitating the development of effective moisture barrier systems, improved formulation techniques, and enhanced surface treatments to mitigate the impact of moisture on polyurethane materials and ensure their durability and performance in various applications.
The Solution: Polyurethane materials are moisture sensitive. Vacuum degassing polyols and isocyanates prior to mixing them together can help ensure that the formulation will be moisture and air-free. Introducing air bubbles can cause moisture contamination during the curing process. FlackTek™’s non-invasive mixing technology delivers bubble free mixing compared to stir blades, wood stir sticks and spatulas which all introduce air.which significantly increases efficiency and throughput.
The Challenge: Fillers such as fumed silica, micro balloons, carbon black, conductive material and bond-line control beads can be extremely difficult to incorporate and homogeneously disperse into urethanes. Many common fillers can introduce air into your final formulation, and create agglomerations.
The Solution: FlackTek™ technology stands out by ensuring the seamless, uniform integration of troublesome fillers into urethanes without introducing air into the final formulations, thanks to its innovative bladeless mixing process. A vacuum equipped FlackTek™ eliminates the need to precondition or dry your fillers before mixing. Both methods will eliminate any agglomeration from your final formulation.
The Challenge: Maintaining precise control of reactions between polyols and isocyanates, necessitating precise control and rapid mixing to achieve desired properties.
The Solution: FlackTek™'s bladeless mixing facilitates rapid and thorough mixing of polyols and isocyanates, ensuring complete reaction and homogeneous distribution of components. The ability to achieve seconds-long mix times with FlackTek™ optimizes the reactive mixing process for fast-reacting polyurethane systems, reducing irregularities in cell structure formation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of polyurethanes can be mixed using FlackTek™ equipment?
FlackTek™ equipment is capable of mixing a wide range of polyurethanes, including polyurethane foams (flexible, rigid, integral skin), polyurethane elastomers (TPU, castable elastomers), polyurethane coatings and adhesives, polyurethane sealants, and potting/encapsulation materials.
What are the advantages of using FlackTek™ equipment for polyurethane mixing?
- Homogeneous mixing of polyurethane components for consistent material properties.
- Efficient incorporation and dispersion of fillers, additives, and reinforcements.
- Bubble-free mixing, reducing the risk of moisture contamination in the curing process.
- Flexibility to handle various viscosities and formulations.
- Easy scalability from small to large batch sizes.
- Compatibility with different types of polyurethane systems, including reactive mixing processes.
Can FlackTek™ equipment handle high-temperature polyurethane mixing?
Yes, FlackTek™ equipment can handle high-temperature polyurethane mixing. It can withstand elevated temperatures required for processing hot/high-temperature cast urethane systems, such as TDI and MDI systems crosslinked with polyols or amines.