Characterization of Insulation Performance, Poststability, and Foaming Process of Rigid Polyurethane Sandwich Panel for Cold Storage Warehouse

Polyurethane (PU) is a commonly used insulation material for cold storage warehouses. The insulation performance of PU sandwich panels made from blended blowing agents were reassessed by k-factor measurements and insulation thickness calculation based on the cold warehouse design standard, which has proven the significant impact of blowing agent difference on energy saving. The foam poststability was also evaluated by mathematic profiling. The developed three-dimensional paraboloid model based on gridding measurements has provided a scientific method for panel shrinkage evaluation. Cell microstructure characterization and postgrowth angle coefficients calculation were further performed for better understanding the shrinkage problem at the microscopic level. The foaming process model of continuous panel production was developed based on reactivity profiling characterization which has provided a theoretical solution to panel processing. (C) 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.