Foam envelope for sealing large volumes

Abstract

The article 10 includes a tube and at least one thermoplastic pouch inserted into the tube, the tube including an upper section, a lower section, an inner section, and an outer section, the tube including a semi-permeable monolayer of a nonwoven sheet of flash-spun polyethylene or a microporous thin film stabilized by an open weave or scrim, the tube having a plurality of holes passing therethrough in the upper and / or lower sections of the tube, the pouch being positioned within the tube such that the pouch contacts the lower and inner sections of the tube, and the pouch containing a foamable composition.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to foams used to fill cavities, cracks and crevices to improve sealing and insulation of buildings, and more specifically to foam systems contained within a sealed envelope such as a tube that can be placed within the volume to be sealed. There is a market desire for such a system that reduces installation time and foam material waste. [Background technology]

[0002] U.S. Patent No. 10,384,378 by O'Leary et al. describes a system for sealing large volumes or large gaps that includes a flexible envelope that can take the shape of the volume when filled with a foamable composition, expanding the envelope to the boundaries of the volume. The foamable composition can be integral to the envelope or can be bulk-supplied by an external device. The foamable composition can be one or more parts, typically two parts such as polyisocyanate and polyol, in which case the two parts must be kept separate until foaming is desired. Separation can be achieved by providing multiple compartments with a mixing device to deliver the ingredients to the interior. The envelope can include ribs for structural strength and shaping, and leak holes around the perimeter of the envelope for increased adhesion and sealing. The envelope can also include perforations for an overall modular seal or to separate portions of the envelope to seal irregular shapes.

[0003] U.S. Patent No. 8,882,483 to O'Leary et al. describes a system for sealing or insulating large volumes. The system includes an envelope having a wall defining an interior. The interior is configured to receive a foamable composition. The envelope is initially configured in a contracted configuration. The foamable composition is configured to be inserted into the interior of the envelope. The envelope is configured such that the foamable composition expands the envelope to fill large gaps.

[0004] U.S. Patent No. 9,561,606 by O'Leary et al. discloses a system for sealing large volumes or large gaps, including a flexible envelope that can take the shape of the volume when filled with a foamable composition that expands the envelope to the volume's boundaries. The foamable composition can be integral to the envelope or can be bulk-supplied by an external device. The foamable composition can be one or more parts, typically two parts such as polyisocyanate and polyol, in which case the two parts must be kept separate until foaming is desired. Separation can be achieved by providing multiple compartments that supply the ingredients to the interior with a mixing device. The envelope can include ribs for structural strength and shaping, and leak holes around the envelope to enhance adhesion and sealing. The envelope can also include perforations for an overall modular seal or to separate portions of the envelope to seal irregular shapes.

[0005] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210198411 by Certain Teed LLC teaches methods, apparatus, and systems for insulating cavities associated with walls, ceilings, floors, and other building structures with foam insulation, for example. In one aspect, the disclosure provides a method for providing expanded foam insulation to a building cavity. The method includes dispensing a quantity of expanded foam insulation into a cavity, the expanded foam insulation being dispenseable and expandable to provide an expanded foam insulation, the expanded foam insulation being formed from a premix including at least one polyol, at least one polyisocyanate, a blowing agent, and an encapsulated catalyst, the encapsulated catalyst including a plurality of catalyst capsules, each catalyst capsule including a quantity of catalyst and a capsule shell encapsulating the catalyst, the dispensing being performed to apply a force to the encapsulated catalyst sufficient to break the capsules and release the catalyst, the released catalyst initiating a reaction with the at least one polyol and the at least one isocyanate, and then allowing the dispensed quantity of expanded foam insulation to substantially finish expanding after the expanded foam insulation is dispensed into the cavity, thereby forming an expanded foam insulation in the cavity.

[0006] PCT Publication No. WO2020123232 by Davlin et al. discloses a method and system for applying foam insulation to a surface or cavity, including a sheet with an aperture, where the sheet covers or partially covers the surface or cavity with the aperture adjacent the surface or cavity. A pressure-activated foamer for foaming is coupled to the sheet. The pressure-activated foamer includes a frangible outlet seal having a rupture position. The pressure-activated foamer is positioned such that in the rupture position, the foam has a path from the frangible outlet seal through the aperture to the surface or into the cavity. The sheet is connected to cover or partially cover the surface or cavity, and the pressure-activated foamer is activated, causing the foam to flow to the surface or into the cavity. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to an article 10 comprising a tube 11 having a length L, a width W, and a height H, and at least one thermoplastic pouch 12 having a length l and a width w inserted into the tube, The tube includes an upper section 13, a lower section 14, an inner section 15, and an outer section 16; The tube includes layer 18, which is a semi-permeable membrane that is permeable to vapor but impermeable to liquids; The tube has a through-thickness Gurley air permeability of 1 to 2,000 seconds; The tube has a tensile modulus in the L direction of 300 to 450 MPa and a tensile modulus in the W direction of 200 to 320 MPa; The tube has a plurality of holes passing through the layer 18 of the upper section 13 and / or the lower section 14 of the tube 11; The pouch length l is greater than the pouch width w. The pouch is formed so that the pouch contacts the lower section 14 and the inner section 15 of the tube and has an area W that is 45% or less of the entire tube width W. max located within the tube so as to extend transversely across the tube width W within the Pouch 12 relates to article 10 and contains a foamable composition.

[0008] Methods of using the articles are also disclosed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an article of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an end view of an article of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top view of one embodiment of a pouch. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a plan view of another embodiment of a pouch. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is an end view of an article inserted into a void space between building joints. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an end view of a building joint. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an end view of a window to building wall joint with a tube inserted into the gap between the window and the building wall. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Goods FIG. 1 shows an article generally at 10 including a tube 11 having a length L, width W, and height H, and at least one pouch 12 inserted into the tube. In some embodiments, the width W and height H of the tube have the same dimensions, i.e., the tube has a circular cross-section. The width W and / or height H of the tube may vary depending on the application. In one example, a circular unexpanded tube may have an outer diameter of 50-100 mm. The length L of the tube should be, at a minimum, long enough to cover the length of the gap in the cavity to be filled with foam.

[0011] tube As shown in FIG. 2, the tube includes an upper section 13, a lower section 14, an inner section 15, and an outer section 16. The inner section 15 faces the interior of the building, while the outer section 16 faces the exterior. The tube includes either a nonwoven sheet 18 of flash-spun polyethylene filaments or a microporous membrane. The microporous membrane may be stabilized by an open weave or scrim. An exemplary flash-spun polyethylene material is available under the trade name Tyvek® from DuPont de Nemours Inc., Wilmington, DE. In some embodiments, the polymer of the fiber has a tenacity of 930 to 970 kg / m 3 The flash spun polyethylene sheet may have a basis weight of 40-80 gsm. Exemplary microporous thin films include SMS or SMMS structures. SMS structures are three-layer structures including a spunbond layer, a meltblown layer, and a spunbond layer. Although SMS sheets have three constituent layers, SMS sheets are sold in the industry as a unitary rolled product and therefore are considered to be single layer for purposes of this document. SMMS sheets are four-layer structures including a spunbond layer, two meltblown layers, and a spunbond layer. Although SMMS sheets have four constituent layers, SMMS sheets are sold in the industry as a unitary rolled product and therefore are considered to be single layer for purposes of this document.

[0012] The tube has a through plate thickness Gurley air permeability of 1 to 2000 seconds as measured in accordance with EN ISO 5636-5:2013. This range is sufficient to allow gas escape during the foam expansion process.

[0013] The tube must be flexible enough to expand during the foaming process, but not so flexible that it bursts. A tube that meets this requirement is one that exhibits a maximum tensile force of at least 100N / 50mm when tested according to standard EN 12311-1:2000.

[0014] Except where the tube has a circular cross section, upper section 13 and lower section 14 have the same dimensions, and inner section 15 and outer section 16 also have the same dimensions but smaller dimensions than upper section 13 and lower section 14. Preferably, the ratio of tube width W to tube height H is between 20:1 and 2.3:1.

[0015] In some embodiments, the tube has two spaced apart flow restrictors 19a and 19b in the upper section 13 of the tube that are attached to the outer surface 20 of the outer layer 18 of the tube and extend along the length of the tube. These flow restrictors are shown in both Figures 1 and 2.

[0016] In another embodiment, the tube has two spaced apart flow restrictors 19c and 19d in the lower section 14 of the tube that are attached to the outer surface 20 of the outer layer 18 of the tube and extend along the length of the tube. These flow restrictors are shown in FIG.

[0017] In yet another embodiment, the tube has two spaced apart flow restrictors 19a and 19b in the upper section and two spaced apart flow restrictors 19c and 19d in the lower section 14 of the tube, these four flow restrictors extending along the length of the tube and attached to the outer surface 20 of the outer layer 18 of the tube.

[0018] The tube has a plurality of holes, shown as black dots in FIG. 1, penetrating the layer 18 of the tube at the upper section 13 and / or lower section 14 of the tube, and where two spaced apart flow restrictors 19a and 19b are present at the upper section 13 of the tube and / or where two spaced apart flow restrictors 19c and 19d are present at the lower section 14 of the tube, the holes are restricted to the portion of the tube located between the two spaced apart flow restrictors 19a and 19b and / or the two spaced apart flow restrictors 19c and 19d. The holes may be circular, square, rectangular, hexagonal, or other shapes, and may be arranged randomly, in a line, or in some other arrangement. A preferred pattern is two rows of lines spaced about 10 mm apart. Typically the holes are spaced apart from each other by about 2-10 mm. 2 and the spacing between the holes is about 4-30 mm. In some embodiments, the holes in the upper section 13 have a diameter of at least 0.8 mm, while the lower section 14, the inner section 15, and the outer section 16 have holes with a diameter of less than 0.8 mm, preferably about 0.4-0.6 mm. In other embodiments, the holes in the lower section 14 have a diameter of at least 0.8 mm, while the upper section 13, the inner section 15, and the outer section 16 have holes with a diameter of less than 0.8 mm, preferably about 0.4-0.6 mm. In yet other embodiments, the holes in the upper section 13 and the lower section 14 have a diameter of at least 0.8 mm, while the inner section 15 and the outer section 16 have holes with a diameter of less than 0.8 mm, preferably about 0.4-0.6 mm.

[0019] Pouch The pouch 12 is thermoplastic and has a length l and a width w, as shown in Figure 3, where the length l is greater than the width w. The pouch 12 is positioned within the tube 11 such that the pouch 12 contacts the lower section 14 and the inner section 15 of the tube. As shown in Figure 2, the pouch width is within a range W which is less than or equal to 45% of the tube width W. max1. The pouch extends transversely to the tube width W within the cavity. This is a desirable feature as it prevents the pouch from being punctured when the tube is installed in the cavity. For example, FIG. 7 shows a typical installation where a portion of a building wall is shown as 27, portions of a window frame are shown as 28a and 28b, and the window glass is 29. The tube 11 is inserted between the wall 27 and the window frame 28a. Fastening means 30, such as nails or screws, connect the window frame 28a to the wall 27 and hold the window assembly in place. The fastening means 30 penetrates the tube 11 and, if present, between the two flow restrictors 19a and 19b and / or between the two flow restrictors 19c and 19d. The extent to which the pouch extends transversely to the tube width W is referred to as W. max By limiting the width W of the tube to a value not exceeding 45% of the tube width W, the risk of the fastening means perforating the pouch is eliminated.

[0020] The pouch 12 contains a foamable composition.

[0021] Preferably, there are multiple pouches 12 within the tube 11. The spacing between adjacent pouches can vary, but is typically 50-1000 mm, preferably 400-600 mm, more preferably 450-550 mm, or even 300-500 mm. Preferably, adjacent pouches are connected to each other by a connecting means such as a thermoplastic tape or ribbon.

[0022] In one embodiment, all components of the foamable composition are in one pouch but remain inactive until an initiation step is enabled, which may be by means such as ultrasound, gas pressure blast, heat, or appropriate frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum such as infrared or ultraviolet light.

[0023] In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pouch 12 has a first compartment C 1 and the second section C 2 The compartments are separated by at least one frangible barrier 21, and the first compartment C 1 contains the first foamable composition component, and the second compartment C 2contains the second foamable composition component. In Figure 3 there is only one frangible barrier 21, whereas in Figure 4 there are two frangible barriers 21a and 21b separating the first and second compartments.

[0024] In one embodiment, the first compartment C 1 and the second section C 2 Each of the first and second sections has a length of about 70 mm, a width of about 30 mm, and a thickness of about 12 mm. In some embodiments, the first and second sections can have different lengths.

[0025] If multiple pouches are present, the multiple pouches may have the same or different lengths.

[0026] A frangible barrier means a material that separates two compartments but can be easily broken by a disruptive means to allow the chemical components of the two compartments to intimately mix and react to form a foam. Suitable materials for frangible barriers include ethylene copolymer ionomers such as Surlyn® available from Dow, Midland, MI. Suitable disruptive means include mechanical, ultrasonic, gas pressure blast, heat, or suitable frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum such as infrared or ultraviolet. Exemplary mechanical disruptive means are manual manipulation, hammers, rollers, or rod pullers.

[0027] 4, the static mixer 22 is located between two spaced apart frangible barriers 21a and 21b that separate the first and second compartments. Static mixers are well known devices in the fluid mixing art.

[0028] In some embodiments, the pouch structure is a multi-layer assembly of, for example, 3-7 or 4-6 components. An exemplary structure for a pouch is an ionic resin layer such as Surlyn®, a first adhesive or tie layer, a first polyester layer, a second adhesive or tie layer, and a second polyester layer. A suitable adhesive is Bynel®. Another exemplary structure includes a Surlyn® layer, a Bynel® adhesive layer, an ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer layer, a Bynel® adhesive layer, a low density polyethylene (LDPE) layer, and an oriented polyethylene (OPET) layer.

[0029] Preferably, the two edges of the tube 11 are sealed by suitable means such as adhesive bonding or ultrasonic welding, as shown at 32 in Figure 7. Also shown in Figure 7 is a vapor control layer or liquid sealant 31 covering the inner section 15 of the tube 11 and extending partially onto the upper section 13 and the lower section 14 of the tube 11. This vapor control layer may be made from polyethylene, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), or polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH).

[0030] Foamable Composition By foamable composition is meant a composition where when all ingredients are combined and the reaction is initiated or activated, the components of the foamable composition in the pouch 12 react to form an expandable foam which then bursts the pouch 12, expands the tube 11, escapes through the tube holes in the upper section 13 and / or lower section 14 of the tube, if present, between two spaced apart flow restrictors 19a and 19b and / or 19c and 19d extending along the length of the tube, fills the gap 26 between the building joints 24 and 25 of the building structure as shown in FIG. 6, and then cures in place, thereby providing an airtight and water impermeable seal.

[0031] The pouch is in the first compartment C. 1 and the second section C 2 In an embodiment including the first compartment C 1The first foamable composition component in the second compartment C includes an isocyanate. 2 The second foamable composition component in includes a polyol. The isocyanate composition may be formulated to have a monomeric diisocyanate content of less than 1 weight percent or even less than 0.1 weight percent, such formulations being well known to those skilled in the art. The second foamable composition component may further include a catalyst and / or a blowing agent.

[0032] In some embodiments, the composition may also include particles with major dimensions of 1 mm or less that act as nuclei for bubble formation and thus impart small pore sizes to the expanded foam. Exemplary particles are graphite, microballoons, and calcite. For polyurethane foam compositions, these additional particles are incorporated in the second foamable composition component (polyol). Non-polyurethane two-component chemicals are also suitable as foamable compositions, for example those based on epoxy systems or based on silicone systems. In this case, the nucleation particles remain separated from both major components until the time of mixing. This requires that these particles are located in a third compartment as shown between the two frangible barriers 21a and 21b in FIG. 4. Other particles may function to aid in the mixing of the reagents. For example, ferromagnetic or magnetic particles can enhance mixing when an external magnetic source is applied. This magnetic source is a magnetic field or a magnetic rod. Other particles may respond to an external ultrasonic source and then enhance mixing.

[0033] Other functional additives are flame retardants, pigments, and fillers such as fibers, filaments, fibrils, and pulps such as glass or aramid pulp. In some embodiments, the addition of para-aramid pulp present in an amount of 0.05 to 3.0 weight percent of the foaming composition has been shown to be beneficial. This type of pulp includes highly fibrillated chopped para-aramid fibers having lengths of 1,000 micrometers or less. Preferably, the fiber diameter is about 50 micrometers. The pulp can be added to either the first foamable composition component, i.e., the isocyanate, or the second foamable composition component, i.e., the polyol. Foamed polyurethane compositions incorporating para-aramid pulp exhibit improved compressive strength and modulus with similar expansion and acceptable flexibility compared to foaming compositions without the pulp additive. This improved compression or modulus enhances the impact absorption properties of sealed gaps in window surfaces, a desirable property in buildings where window expansion occurs in hot weather, for example.

[0034] A desirable property of the expanded foam is that it should be flexible enough to be compressed by at least 10%, more preferably at least 20%, or at least 50%, when tested according to standard EN 826:2013.

[0035] Another desirable feature of the foam is that after one week of expansion, the foam should shrink no more than 20%, preferably no more than 10%, of the original expanded foam dimensions when tested according to the method disclosed in standard EN 1604:2013. This evaluation is performed at ambient temperature as well as at temperature cycles from -10 to +50°C.

[0036] In some embodiments, the foamable material contained in each pouch is the same. In some other embodiments, the foamable material contained in one pouch is different from the foamable material contained in another pouch, for example, some pouches may contain foamable materials that upon reaction provide a foam with a higher density but lower expansion than foams produced from other pouches, and the foamable materials contained in these other pouches have different chemical compositions. Such a feature can reduce or even eliminate the need for mechanical fastening of the window with nails or screws.

[0037] Practicality The invention described above finds utility in new construction or in the retrofit of existing buildings where there are gaps to be filled. Typical applications include sealing the gap between a window and a wall, between a door and a wall, between a wall and a roof, between two walls, and sealing the gap between two adjacent prefabricated building panels or modules. These are sometimes referred to as building joints.

[0038] Method for sealing gaps between building joints In one embodiment, a method for sealing the gap 26 between building joints 24 and 25 includes: Providing an article 10 including a tube 11 and at least one thermoplastic pouch 12 inserted into the tube 11, The tube 11 has a length L, a width W, and a height H, and the at least one thermoplastic pouch 12 has a length l and a width w; The tube includes an upper section 13, a lower section 14, an inner section 15, and an outer section 16; The tube includes layer 18, which is a semi-permeable membrane that is permeable to vapor but impermeable to liquids; The tube has a through-thickness Gurley air permeability of 1 to 2,000 seconds; The tube has a tensile modulus in the L direction of 300 to 450 MPa and a tensile modulus in the W direction of 200 to 320 MPa; The tube has a plurality of holes extending through the layer 18 of the upper section 13 and / or the lower section 14 of the tube; The pouch length l is greater than the pouch width w. The pouch is formed so that the pouch contacts the lower section 14 and the inner section 15 of the tube and has an area W that is 45% or less of the entire tube width W. max located within the tube so as to extend transversely across the tube width W within the The pouch 12 contains a foamable composition. The steps to prepare, Inserting the article 10 into a gap 26 between building joints 24 and 25; activating the foamable composition in the pouch 12 such that the ingredients of the foamable composition react to form an expandable foam, which then bursts the pouch 12, expands the tube 11, and escapes through tube holes located in the upper section 13 and / or lower section 14 of the tube, if present, between two spaced apart flow restrictors 19a and 19b in the upper section 13 of the tube and / or two spaced apart flow restrictors 19c and 19d in the lower section 14 of the tube, which flow restrictors extend along the length of the tube, the expanding foam filling the void 26 between the building joints 24 and 25 of the building structure, and then curing in place into a foamed structure that provides an airtight and water impermeable seal; Includes.

[0039] In some embodiments, the effervescent material contained in one pouch is different from the effervescent material contained in another pouch.

[0040] An optional step in the above method is to apply an adhesive means to either the lower section 14 of the tube 11 or the upper surface 23 of the building joint prior to inserting the tube 11 into the void 26. This adhesive means, which may be for example double-sided tape or hot melt adhesive, helps to hold the tube in the correct position.

[0041] In an alternative embodiment, a method for sealing the gap 26 between building joints 24 and 25 includes: Providing an article 10 including a tube 11 and at least one thermoplastic pouch 12 inserted into the tube 11, the pouch 12 being in a first compartment C 1 and the second section C 2 the compartments are separated by at least one frangible barrier 21 or two frangible barriers 21a and 21b, the tube includes an upper section 13, a lower section 14, an inner section 15, and an outer section 16; The tube includes layer 18, which is a semi-permeable membrane that is permeable to vapor but impermeable to liquids; The tube has a through-thickness Gurley air permeability of 1 to 2,000 seconds; The tube has a tensile modulus in the L direction of 300 to 450 MPa and a tensile modulus in the W direction of 200 to 320 MPa; The tube has a plurality of holes extending through the layer 18 of the upper section 13 and / or the lower section 14 of the tube; The pouch length l is greater than the pouch width w. The pouch is formed so that the pouch contacts the lower section 14 and the inner section 15 of the tube and has an area W that is 45% or less of the entire tube width W. max located within the tube so as to extend transversely across the tube width W within the The pouch 12 contains a foamable composition. The steps to prepare, Inserting the article 10 into the gap between building joints 24 and 25; First section C of each compartment of pouch 12 1 and the second section C 2and activating the foamable composition within the pouch by disrupting the frangible barrier 21 or 21a and 21b separating the first and second compositions with a disruptive means, thereby allowing the first and second compositions to mix, react and form an expandable foam, which then bursts the pouch 12, expands the tube 11, and escapes through tube holes located in the upper section 13 and / or lower section 14 of the tube 11, if present, between two spaced apart flow restrictors 19a and 19b and / or 19c and 19d extending along the length of the tube 11, filling the void 26 between the building joints 24 and 25 of the building structure, and then hardening in situ into a foamed structure providing an airtight and water impermeable seal. Includes.

[0042] The disruption means can be mechanical, ultrasonic, gas pressure blast, heat, or any suitable frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum such as infrared or ultraviolet. Exemplary mechanical disruption means include manual manipulation, hammers, rollers, or rod extraction.

[0043] In some embodiments, the effervescent material contained in one pouch is different from the effervescent material contained in another pouch.

[0044] An optional step in the above method is to apply an adhesive means to either the lower section 14 of the tube 11 or the upper surface 23 of the building joint prior to inserting the tube 11 into the void 26. This adhesive means, which may be for example double-sided tape or hot melt adhesive, helps to hold the tube in the correct position.

[0045] Test Method The free rise density of the foam was measured according to ASTM D7487-13: Standard Practice for Polyurethane Raw Materials: Polyurethane Foam Cup Test.

[0046] The dynamic compressive strength and compressive modulus of the foams were measured according to EN ISO 844-2021: Rigid foamed plastics. EXAMPLES

[0047] All parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified. Examples made in accordance with the invention are indicated by numerical values. Controls or comparative examples are indicated by letter.

[0048] The materials of Example 1 and Comparative Examples A and B were evaluated in a gap space between two building components, the space having nominal dimensions of 4.2 m length, 77 mm width, and 25 mm thickness.

[0049] In Example 1, the tube was Tyvek® 1506B, a flash-spun polyethylene sheet commercially available from DuPont de Nemours Inc, Wilmington, Del. The tube thickness was nominally 0.17 mm, and the tube had a nominal through-thickness Gurley air permeability of 21 seconds.

[0050] In Example 1, 2 mm diameter holes were placed in a staggered pattern in two separate lines in the upper section 13 of the tube. The foamable material consisted of six pouches of Instapak® QuickRT® packaging foam from Sealed Air Corporation, Elmwood Park, NJ. Each pouch contained two compartments separated by a frangible barrier, one compartment containing a polyol and the other compartment containing an isocyanate. Each pouch contained 75 g of reactive material, yielding a total of 450 g of foamable composition. The frangible barrier was broken by manual manipulation, allowing the reagents to react and form a foam.

[0051] Comparative Example A represents the current state of the art in the industry and consisted of injecting a one-component polyurethane foam sealant, InstaStik Flex+, from DuPont into the gap and allowing the foamable material to expand, cure, and solidify. Any foam extending beyond the plane of the exterior surfaces of the two building components was removed and smoothed flush. DuPont's Tyvek® Window Tape Sealant Grade 1310PT was then applied over the smoothed foam, overlapping the building components. The amount of foam was 375 g.

[0052] The tube of Comparative Example B comprised 100 micron thick Mylar®, a biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate material also available from DuPont. The tube had a nominal through-thickness Gurley air permeability of 45,000 seconds. Comparative Example B had 1 mm diameter holes arranged in two separate linear staggered patterns in the upper section 13 of the tube. The foamable material consisted of six pouches of Instapak® QuickRT® packaging foam from Sealed Air Corporation, Elmwood Park, NJ. Each pouch contained two compartments separated by a frangible barrier, one compartment containing a polyol and the other compartment containing an isocyanate. Each pouch contained 75 g of reactive material, yielding a total of 450 g of foamable composition. The frangible barrier was broken by manual manipulation, thereby allowing the reagents to react and form a foam.

[0053] The measured installation times included prep work, pouch installation, foam activation, foam expansion and curing, finishing steps, and flashing application. An example was deemed satisfactory and beneficial to the industry if the installation time was 30 minutes or less. Example 1 had an installation time of less than 30 minutes, while Comparative Example A had an installation time of about 60 minutes. Comparative Example B had an installation time of less than 30 minutes, but serious tube bursting occurred during the foaming process, so this example was deemed unsuitable for use.

[0054] Further improvements The benefit of enhanced compressive tensile and modulus performance from the cured foam was achieved by the addition of para-aramid pulp to the foamable composition. The pulp, DuPont merge 1K1957, had a nominal fiber diameter of 50 micrometers and a fiber length of less than 1 mm. The pulp was added to the polyol component of the isocyanate-polyol foamable composition such that the pulp comprised 0.4 weight percent (Example 2) or 0.8 weight percent (Example 3) of the composition. The isocyanate (Voronate) TM M230) constituted 60 weight percent of the foamable composition, with the polyol component making up the remaining 40 weight percent. The polyol component consisted of 32 weight percent Voranol TM The compositions contained polyether polyol, 6 weight percent water, and 2 weight percent catalyst. In the examples containing para-aramid pulp, the amount of polyol was reduced by 0.4 or 0.8 weight percent. The sample without pulp material was the control (Comparative Example C). These compositions were foamed and specimens were subjected to compression and modulus testing. The resulting values ​​were normalized to account for variations in foam density (free rise density) of the test samples.

[0055] The test standard was EN ISO 844-2021. The foam test samples were 16 mm thick, and each foam test sample was compressed by 3 mm. The dynamic compressive strength was measured by applying a strain of 18.75%, and then the compressive load was released for 60 seconds. This procedure was repeated four more times. The compressive modulus was measured according to the EN ISO 844-2021 standard. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0056] [Table 1]

Claims

1. Article 10 comprising a tube 11 having length L, width W, and height H, and at least one thermoplastic pouch 12 having length l and width w inserted into the tube, The tube includes an upper section 13, a lower section 14, an inner section 15, and an outer section 16. The tube comprises a semi-permeable single layer of a microporous thin film stabilized by a nonwoven sheet of flash-spun polyethylene or a coarse fabric or scrim. The tube has a Gurley permeability in the thickness direction of the plate from 1 to 2,000 seconds. The tube, when tested according to standard EN 12311-1:2000, exhibits a maximum tensile force of at least 100 N / 50 mm. The tube has a plurality of holes that penetrate the tube in the upper section 13 and / or the lower section 14 of the tube. The pouch length l is greater than the width w. The pouch is such that it contacts the lower section 14 and the inner section 15 of the tube, and the range W is 45% or less of the total width W of the tube. max Located within the tube, extending in a direction that crosses the tube width W, The pouch 12 contains the foaming composition. Article 10.

2. The pouch 12 is the first compartment C 1 and the second section C 2 The compartment is separated by at least one fragile barrier 21, and the first compartment C 1 The first foaming composition component is contained in the second compartment C 2 The article 10 according to claim 1, wherein the article contains a second foaming composition component.

3. A method for sealing the gap 26 between building joints 24 and 25, The step of preparing an article 10 comprising a tube 11 and at least one thermoplastic pouch 12 inserted into the tube 11, The tube 11 has a length L, a width W, and a height H, and the at least one thermoplastic pouch 12 has a length l and a width w. The tube includes an upper section 13, a lower section 14, an inner section 15, and an outer section 16. The tube includes a layer 18 which is a semipermeable membrane that is permeable to vapor but impermeable to liquid. The tube has a Gurley permeability in the thickness direction of the plate from 1 to 2,000 seconds. The tube has a tensile modulus in the L direction of 300 to 450 MPa and a tensile modulus in the W direction of 200 to 320 MPa. The tube has a plurality of holes that penetrate the layer 18 of the upper section 13 and / or the lower section 14 of the tube, The pouch length l is greater than the width w. The pouch is such that it contacts the lower section 14 and the inner section 15 of the tube, and the range W is 45% or less of the total width W of the tube. max Located within the tube, extending in a direction that crosses the tube width W, The pouch 12 contains the foaming composition. The steps to be prepared as described above, The step of inserting the article 10 into the gap 26 between the building joints 24 and 25, A step of activating the foaming composition in the pouch 12 so that the raw materials of the foaming composition react to form an expandable foam, wherein the foam then bursts the pouch 12, inflates the tube 11, and escapes through the tube holes in the upper section 13 and / or the lower section 14 of the tube, between two spaced flow limiters 19a and 19b and / or two spaced flow limiters 19c and 19d, if present, extending along the length of the tube, filling the gap 26 between the building joints 24 and 25 of the building structure, and then hardens in place to form a foamed structure that provides an airtight and water-impermeable seal. Methods that include...

4. A method for sealing the gap 26 between building joints 24 and 25, The step of preparing an article 10 comprising a tube 11 and at least one thermoplastic pouch 12 inserted into the tube 11, The tube 11 has a length L, a width W, and a height H, and the at least one thermoplastic pouch 12 has a length l and a width w. The tube includes an upper section 13, a lower section 14, an inner section 15, and an outer section 16. The tube includes a layer 18 which is a semipermeable membrane that is permeable to vapor but impermeable to liquid. The tube has a Gurley permeability in the thickness direction of the plate from 1 to 2,000 seconds. The tube has a tensile modulus in the L direction of 341 to 441 MPa and a tensile modulus in the W direction of 207 to 308 MPa. The tube has a plurality of holes that penetrate the layer 18 of the upper section 13 of the tube, The pouch length l is greater than the width w. The pouch 12 is in contact with the lower section 14 and the inner section 15 of the tube, and within a range W of 45% or less of the total tube width W. max Located within the tube, extending in a direction that crosses the tube width W, The pouch 12 includes a first compartment C 1 and a second compartment C 2 and the compartments are separated by at least one frangible barrier 21 or 21a and 21b, The pouch 12 contains the foaming composition. The steps to be prepared as described above, The steps include inserting the article 10 into the gap between the building joints, The first section C of each compartment of the pouch 12 1 and the second section C 2 The step of enabling the foaming composition in the pouch by destroying the fragile barrier 21 separating the two by a destructive means, thereby enabling the first composition and the second composition to mix, react, and form an expandable foam, the foam then bursting the pouch 12, inflating the tube 11, and escaping through the tube holes in the upper section 13 and / or the lower section 14 of the tube 11, and, if present, between two spaced flow limiters 19a and 19b and / or 19c and 19d extending along the length of the tube 11, filling the gap 26 between the building joints 24 and 25 of the building structure, and then curing in place to form a foamed structure that provides an airtight and water-impermeable seal. Methods that include...

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