Enhance and Tailor Your Capabilities and Capacity
Given the nature of the material, it should be no surprise that chemical blending equipment is an essential component of your success in the manufacturing of polyurethane.
As you’re likely aware, polyurethanes are made by combining diisocyanates (TDI and MDI) and polyols. There are hundreds of different types of polyurethane, with each made according to different mixtures of those two primary ingredients. The ratios used, the inclusion of gasses, and many more factors all add additional customizability to the material and open the door to an incredible range of products and applications.
Polyurethane, in one form or another, is used every day — in our homes and cars, at the office, in sports equipment, as insulation, and in a host of additional ways. It can be rigid or soft and flexible. Versatile and adaptable, polyurethane plays an important role in making products that make life easier, safer, and more convenient.
In turn, chemical blending equipment can help unlock all those possibilities while also supporting efficient and economically advantageous production facilities. Today, we’ll dive into some of the ways this polyurethane equipment can power your success.
We’re the Polyurethane Experts: Contact us today to learn how Linden Industries can serve as your partner in all things polyurethane.
Chemical Blending Equipment Essentials
There are a number of ways to upgrade or improve your chemical blending equipment when working in polyurethane production, from large-scale solutions to more targeted or localized efforts. Here are three offerings from Linden Industries that can help maximize your facilities.
Bulk Storage and Blending
The single biggest way to positively impact your efficiency is with bulk storage and bulk chemical blending equipment.
Prior to pouring or shooting your polyurethane product(s), the chemical components must somehow be stored. Without bulk storage options, these chemicals are typically stored in portable (usually 55-gallon drums) containers that must be unloaded, stored, handled, and then disposed of or sent back to the supplier. All of this adds expense and time to your operations.
Bulk storage systems alleviate many of these issues. Instead of wasting time and space with problematic drums, bulk storage allows you to seamlessly store the chemicals you’ll utilize every day in large containers that are incorporated into your production cycle. Additionally, there can be savings associated with buying your chemicals in bulk quantities.
Bulk blending equipment can be connected to the storage tank system, allowing for an efficient transfer of material from one stage to the next. Linden can design in-line blending systems to handle polyol, fillers/colors, or blowing agent materials. By integrating these systems, as well as Penta-Fusion and environmentally friendly blending (EFM) options, you’ll experience increased efficiency and see a reduction in material loss versus a manual or non-integrated system.
Go bigger, get more: Learn much more about Linden’s bulk storage solutions, including up to 25,000-gallon tanks, here.
Gas Nucleation
Gas infusion, or nucleation, is another way chemical savings and efficiency can be implemented into your polyurethane production facility. The performance of any polyol-isocyanate mixture can be customized through this process to deliver on customer expectations up front and for years to come with nucleation equipment.
The CO2 gas infusion systems support the homogenous distribution of CO2 gas throughout your chemical mixture (in an automated fashion requiring little manual involvement). The result is improved cell structure in the mixture, which targets material-specific aims like sound absorption and weight reduction — all with minimized consumption of CO2 and reduced chemical usage.
Think of it like a shaken-up carbonated soda spraying from the bottle: the CO2 effects rapid expansion of the fluid—without requiring any additional liquid—increasing pressure and/or filling a larger volume. Similarly, with PU foam nucleation, CO2 can yield material savings by expanding the chemical to fill more space or adjust mechanical properties by controlling the resulting density and pressure.
Meanwhile, Linden’s Dry Air/N2 gas infusion blending units ensure better material and product performance. This blending system will eliminate surface defects like streaks, improves the mixing quality and material flow, and helps resolve voids in the material. It can be integrated into an existing production chain as well, leading to less product and material waste and a more quickly accessed ROI.
Chemical Blending on a moderate scale: Learn more about Linden’s gas nucleation systems and how they can improve the quality of your polyurethane mixtures.
Mix Heads
For chemical blending equipment, a variety of mix head styles and configurations are available to meet different goals and objectives.
One example rests with the L-style mix head, which features two perpendicular mixing chambers. Materials counter-impinge in a small horizontal chamber and are then forced into a larger chamber from where they’re distributed. The 90° change results in greater mixing, velocity reduction, and improved laminar flow.
Another example is the Isotherm spray head that serves different applications and needs, such as outer skins used on seats and dashboards. Thanks to the precision of the Isotherm PSM 700 metering and temperature control system, the chemicals arrive at the spray head via heated hoses and provide a perfect mix — even with different mixing ratios.
In addition, Linden has an array of mix chambers, including versions with ceramic nozzles, to accommodate the most abrasive materials. Our expert team will work with you to identify the right polyurethane mixing chamber for both your production needs and facility constraints.
Explore more mix head options: Get a look at Linden’s full range of equipment options in this realm here.
Linden Industries is Home to Quality Chemical Blending Equipment
For nearly 40 years, Linden Industries has been engineering, designing, and making custom polyurethane equipment for manufacturers across the globe. Every machine we provide is matched to the specific application needs of the client and will enable them to reach and exceed production goals.
Every piece of equipment is also supported by the industry’s best warranty program and service team. Whether you need a critical part rebuilt or replaced, or you need on-site service from a field technician, our team will be there for you.
