【Frontiers in HaiChuan Chemical Technology】Shandong University of Technology and other institutions have developed China’s first chlorine- and fluorine-free polyurethane chemical blowing agent

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China develops the first chlorine- and fluorine-free polyurethane chemical blowing agent 2025-06-06 The project to create a new type of chlorine- and fluorine-free polyurethane chemical blowing agent, carried out jointly by Shandong University of Technology and Buitian New Materials Technology Co., Ltd., passed the evaluation of scientific and technological achievements organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. The project to develop a new type of chlorine- and fluorine-free polyurethane chemical blowing agent, carried out jointly by Shandong University of Technology and Buitian New Materials Technology Co., Ltd., passed the evaluation of scientific and technological achievements organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. The appraisal committee believes that this technological achievement is the first of its kind both domestically and internationally, ranking at the world’s leading level, and it will play a significant role in promoting the replacement of chlorofluorocarbon foam agents in our country. The evaluation report indicates that this technical achievement features four major innovations: first, two new types of chlorofluorine-free polyurethane chemical blowing agents with novel structures were designed and synthesized. These two types of foaming agents are new chemical substances; their toxicology tests and registration as new substances have been completed, making them safe and environmentally friendly. Second, it proposed new approaches for the development of new structural foaming agents. The foaming agent prepared using this new approach decomposes to produce carbon dioxide driven by the heat of reaction; it exhibits good compatibility with the polyol components, resulting in a foaming material with fine and uniform cells and excellent properties. Third, application technologies for new-structure blowing agents in fields such as building insulation panels, pipeline insulation, and cold storage insulation have been developed. Fourth, a preparation process for new-structure foaming agents was developed, and a pilot-scale plant was built. The foam materials produced using the new process have been tested, and their performance parameters such as thermal conductivity meet the **standards. It is reported that this chlorine- and fluorine-free polyurethane chemical blowing agent was developed over a period of more than 10 years by a team from Shandong University of Technology. Shandong University of Technology and Buitian New Materials Company have collaborated on research regarding the application and industrialization of new-type foaming agents, and have established a pilot plant with an annual production capacity of 3,000 tons. The foaming agents produced there are exported to the United States, where they have received positive feedback from customers. It is reported that 38 **patent applications** have been filed for this technological achievement, of which 2 have been granted; 2 PCT patent applications have also been submitted. After examination by an expert panel from the **Intellectual Property Office and subsequent searches both domestically and internationally, it has been confirmed that chlorofluoropolyurethane chemical blowing agents represent a significant theoretical innovation and technical invention. In accordance with international conventions, our country will completely cease the production and use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons by 2030. As a substitute for chlorofluorocarbon-based physical blowing agents in polyurethanes, the widespread use of chlorine-free polyurethane chemical blowing agents will make a significant contribution to completely phasing out chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons in the polyurethane foam industry, protecting the ozone layer, and reducing carbon emissions. The appraisal committee also believes that this new type of foam agent provides strong technical support for our country in addressing climate change and fulfilling commitments under the Paris Agreement and the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer. It has broad prospects for widespread application, and the committee recommends that its industrialization be accelerated and efforts to promote its use intensified. At present, the industrialization and promotion of this project are underway, with the construction of a project to produce 100,000 tons per year of chlorofluorine-free polyurethane chemical foaming agents.