Selection Guide – Europe

POLYURETHANE ADDITIVES
FOR FLEXIBLE POLYETHER
BLOCK FOAM

SILICONE SURFACTANTS, CATALYSTS AND

PROPERTY MODIFYING AUXILIARIES
EVONIK – We are the global leader in polyurethane
additives offering you the broadest choice
YOUR POLYURETHANE of catalysts and surfactants for your
flexible slabstock foam applications.
ADDITIVES PARTNER Among our TEGOSTAB®, DABCO®,
FOR ALL COMFORT TEGOAMIN®, KOSMOS® and ORTEGOL®
brands you will find the right additives
FOAM APPLICATIONS for your foam formulation.

By working in close partnership with the comfort industry,

we stay abreast of the latest trends and issues impacting the
global market, helping us to meet changing market demands
and provide optimized products with the lowest possible
VOC emissions.

Over several decades, we have developed a large variety of

different specialized products that generate ‘value’ for our
customers, and a significant number of our additives can be
found in final consumer applications in the market.

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WE ARE WHERE YOU ARE
Our products are backed by a global
network of support services – and with
manufacturing sites and laboratories in all
major regions – we are well positioned to
serve your development needs and provide
innovative solutionsto your current or
future challenges.
The teams in our dedicated technology solution for your Flexible Polyether Block
centers provide customer-specific product Foam formulations.
development and strong innovation
capabilities.
We look forward to opening a dialogue
with you to discuss your best additive

Hamburg, DE

Clayton, UK
Milton, WI, US Wittenburg, DE

Allentown, PA, US
Wichita, KS, US Nanjing, CN
Milton Keynes, UK
Tokyo, JP
Los Angeles, CA, US Essen, DE
Hopewell, VA, US

Isehara, JP
Pasadena, TX, US
Shanghai, CN
Reserve, LA, US

Singapore, SGP

Americana, BR

Production Site
R&D, Application Technology Center

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PRODUCT OVERVIEW FLEXIBLE
FOAM SURFACTANTS
SURFACTANT PERFORMANCE – HOW SILICONE SURFACTANTS
INFLUENCE FINAL FOAM PROPERTIES
Silicone surfactants fulfill four main tasks
in the production of flexible
polyurethane foam:
• Emulsification of the raw materials
(polyol/TDI/MDI/water).
• Nucleation of dissolved gas.
• Stabilization of the rising foam by
preventing the individual gas bubbles
from coalescence, delaying cell
opening and reducing defects caused
by shear forces.
• Controlled cell opening.
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The ability of a silicone surfactant to fulfill
these four tasks depends on the chemical
structure of the surfactant and how well
this structure fits to the specific chemical
environment, i. e. the individual PU formu-
lation. The support of emulsification,
nucleation, foam stabilization and cell
opening represents the main routes of the
surfactant‘s influence on the resulting
physical foam properties, such as density,
porosity, load-bearing, elasticity, etc.
This discussion illustrates the background
of two fundamental messages:
1. The performance of silicone surfac-
tants depends highly on the individual
formulation and foam processing con-
ditions. Performance ratings of surfac-
tants are only rough guidelines.
2. A broad surfactant portfolio is neces-
sary to address the individual require-
ments of different PU formulations,
processing conditions and desired
physical foam properties – a single
universal silicone surfactant that fulfills
all requirements does not exist!
The best way to identify the optimal
­silicone surfactant for your individual
formulation needs is to complete a
surfactant screening study – a service
we would happily carry out for you!
Please contact our technical
service team!
HOW TO READ THIS This product overview is divided into four different application segments. A list of selected

PRODUCT OVERVIEW silicone surfactant solutions is provided which are suitable for the typical formulations per
identified segment.

KEY PERFORMANCE STABILIZING DENSITY NUCLEATION PROCESSING LOW CO2

TEGOSTAB® FIRST CHOICE FOR … FEATURE POTENCY RANGE EFFICIENCY LATITUDE VOC PROCESSING

A wide range of Combination of broad

formulations and processing latitude and
BF 2370 production techniques. improved potency. •• L–M •• •• ˇ ˇ

Special recommen­ Relative rankings concerning different key Processing latitude

dations based on performance criteria
polyol type, blowing Low performance or narrow The processing latitude defines the sensitivity of the foam properties to varying amounts of surfactant concent-

°
agent, water level, processing latitude ration or to varying amounts of tin catalyst. A broad processing latitude means little impact on tightness of the
reactivity or proces- foam with an increasing surfactant level. Processing latitude is in respect of varying surfactant concentration:
sing conditions. • Medium performance or
medium processing latitude
Please note that
­products can perform Processing
•• High performance or wide
in other formulations processing latitude Shrinkage
and processing
conditions very ••• Very high performance or
well, too! very wide processing latitude

Suitable
ˇ Stable foam

Splits
Density range
EL Extremely low Collapse
L Low
narrow broad Surfactant dosage
M Medium
H High Processing latitude

For more information (technical data sheets, material safety data sheets) please visit our website www.evonik.com/polyurethane-additives.

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UNIVERSAL SILICONE SURFACTANTS
Universal silicone surfactants combine high activity with medium FR properties.
They are suitable to produce foams with FR requirements like Cal 117 and MVSS 302.
Generally foam manufacturers use these silicone surfactants for their conventional foam
grades too.

SENSITIVE TO
NUCLEATION

PROCESSING

PROCESSING

HYDROLYSIS
STABILIZING

EFFICIENCY

LATTITUDE

LOW VOC
POTENCY

DENSITY
RANGE

CO2
TEGOSTAB® FIRST CHOICE FOR KEY PERFORMANCE FEATURE

B 8110 Stabilization demanding foams. High potent stabilizer for foams with physical blowing agent. ••• EL–M •• •
ˇ
B 8158 Typical ether foam grades with medium density. Broad processing, soft touch and fine cell structure. •• L- M ••• •••
ˇ ˇ
Combination of high potency and medium processing
B 8228 Typical ether foam grades with medium density. latitude. ••• L–M •• ••
ˇ
Combination of high potency and good cell opening.
B 8244 Formulations containing hydrophilic polyols. Suitable for formulations with EO-rich polyol. ••• L–M •• •••
ˇ ˇ
B 8255 CO2 foams and foams with optimized fine cell structure. Strong nucleation support & high potency. ••• L–M ••• ••
ˇ ˇ
Medium density foams and foam grades containing NOPs
B 8275 (Natural Oil-based Polyols). Broad processing latitude and good nucleation. •• M ••• ••
ˇ ˇ
B 8955 Sealant foam. First choice for sealant foams. N/A M •• •• N/A
ˇ

EL = extremely low, L = low, M = medium, H = high, ° = low performance or narrow processing latitude
• = medium performance or medium processing latitude •• = high performance or wide processing latitude ••• = very high performance or very wide processing latitude
ˇ = suitable, N/A = not applicable

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CONVENTIONAL SILICONE SURFACTANTS FOR FLEXIBLE POLYETHER BLOCK FOAM
Conventional silicone surfactants are suitable for a broad range of different polyether
foam grades. They are not recommended for FR foam grades, because they require
higher dosage of flame retardants or the foam might not even pass FR test.

SENSITIVE TO
NUCLEATION

PROCESSING

PROCESSING

HYDROLYSIS
STABILIZING

EFFICIENCY

LATTITUDE

LOW VOC
POTENCY

DENSITY
RANGE

CO2
TEGOSTAB® FIRST CHOICE FOR KEY PERFORMANCE FEATURE

Industry standard, combination of broad

BF 2370 A wide range of formulations and production techniques. processing latitude and medium potency. •• L–H ••• •••
ˇ ˇ ˇ
BF 2470 Standard formulations. Improved gas yield and excellent density distribution. •• L–M •• ••
ˇ
Broad processing latitude and narrow density
B 8266 Typical ether foam grades with medium density. distribution in blocks. •• M ••• ••
ˇ ˇ
B 8291 Typical ether foam grades with medium density. Wide processing latitude & medium to low potency. • M •• •••
ˇ ˇ
Low to medium potency stabilizer with wide
B 4900 A broad range of foam densities formulation types. processing latitude. • M •• •••
ˇ ˇ ˇ
B 8002 High density foams and formulations with low stabilization demand. Extremely broad processing latitude. ° H • •••
ˇ ˇ
B 8040 LV A wide range of formulations and production techniques. Medium potent stabilizer with wide processing latitude. •• M •• •••
ˇ ˇ ˇ
B 8052 A wide range of formulations and production techniques. Improved nucleation at a broad processing latitude. • M •• •••
ˇ ˇ ˇ

L = low, M = medium, H = high, ° = low performance or narrow processing latitude

• = medium performance or medium processing latitude •• = high performance or wide processing latitude ••• = very high performance or very wide processing latitude
ˇ = suitable

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 FLAME RETARDANT SILICONE SURFACTANTS
Flame retardant silicone surfactants are particularly well-suited for the production of
flame retardant foam grades, since they enhance the efficiency of the flame retardants
by their minimized contribution to the flammability of the foam. They are essential in
Crib 5 formulations.

SENSITIVE TO
NUCLEATION

PROCESSING

PROCESSING

HYDROLYSIS
STABILIZING

EFFICIENCY

LATTITUDE

LOW VOC
POTENCY

DENSITY
RANGE

CO2
TEGOSTAB® FIRST CHOICE FOR KEY PERFORMANCE FEATURE

B 8155 FR foam grades (Crib 5) Excellent flammability test performance combined with broad processing. •• L-H •• •••
ˇ ˇ
B 8232 FR foam grades (Crib 5) Medium potency combined with broad processing for various FR formulations. • M-H •• •••
ˇ
B 8239 FR foam grades (Crib 5) Excellent flammability test performance, fine and regular cell structure. ••• L-M ••• ••
ˇ ˇ

L = low, M = medium, H = high

° = low performance or narrow processing latitude • = medium performance or medium processing latitude •• = high performance or wide processing latitude ••• = very high performance or very wide processing latitude
ˇ = suitable

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 SILICONE SURFACTANTS FOR HIGH RESILIENCE SLABSTOCK FOAM
All products listed below are phtalate free and provide very open foam.
These surfactants are specifically designed to cover the need for the different
cell regulating and stabilizing potencies required because of varying formulation
ingredients, such as the polymer content in the polyol, the cross-linker level, or
the portion of isocyanates other than TDI 80.

TEGOSTAB® ACTIVITY PROCESSING LATITUDE POLYMER POLYOL MDI TDI LOW VOC

B 8707 LF2 ** ** SAN/PIPA ••• •••

ˇ
B 8773 LF2 ** *** SAN/PHD/PIPA •• •••
ˇ
B 8783 LF2 *** *** SAN/PHD/PIPA •• •••
ˇ

** Medium activity or processing latitude

*** High activity or processing latitude
•• Recommended
••• Strongly recommended
suitable
ˇ

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CONVENTIONAL CATALYSTS EMISSION-FREE CATALYSTS
Polyurethane foam production requires a balance between two main chemical Our latest ‘Non-Emissive’ (NE) catalysts are able to provide excellent foam
reactions. The gelling reaction between polyol and isocyanate which creates physical properties, with no or low contribution to foam emissions.
the polymer is generally catalyzed by stannous octoate. The blowing reaction
between isocyanate and water which generates the CO2 gas is generally catalyzed
by a tertiary amine.

DESCRIPTION DESCRIPTION

Standard gel catalyst based on Non-emissive reactive blowing

DABCO® 33LV Triethylenediamine in DPG DABCO® NE300 catalyst

Standard blowing catalyst based on DABCO® NE1082 Non-emissive reactive gel catalyst
DABCO® BL11 Bis(2-dimethylaminoethyl)ether
Non-emissive reactive gel catalyst
Moderately active blowing catalyst latest generation, strong gel
DABCO® DMEA with broad processing lattitude DABCO® NE740 properties

Standard balanced urethane/urea Non-emissive reactive balanced

DABCO® BLV reaction catalyst DABCO® NE650 gelling/blowing reaction catalyst

Blowing catalyst. Diluted version of Non-emissive reactive balanced

DABCO® BL13 DABCO BL 11 DABCO® NE660 gelling/blowing reaction catalyst

KOSMOS® 29 / DABCO® T9 Stannous octoate KOSMOS® EF Emission free stannous catalyst

Co-catalyst for cold flow prevention

KOSMOS® 54 in HR and visco foams

2-Ethylhexanoic acid free alternative

KOSMOS® PRO 1 to stannous octoate

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 PROPERTY MODIFYING AUXILIARIES
For many reasons it may be desirable to
change or emphazise a particular foam
PURPOSE
property. This table provides an overview
Acid-based blocking agent for amine catalysts. Blockage of amines is removed when foam temperature
rises. Could be used to ensure long cream time combined with good curing at the end of reaction. Usage for very
of the additives available to achieve a
DABCO® BA100 fast reacting formulations in combination with trough technology. Used also to reduce pin holes in box foaming. desired foam property.
ORTEGOL® 2035 Hardening additive for flexible foam formulations

ORTEGOL® 204 Additive for cold flow prevention in HR and visco foams

ORTEGOL® 310 Softening agent. Disturbs formation of hard segments.

ORTEGOL® 500 Cell opening additive for technical flexible foams

ORTEGOL® AO 1 Antioxidant for scorch prevention

ORTEGOL® AO 7 Highly efficient antioxidant for scorch prevention, low VOC, also in high temparature automotive VOC tests

ORTEGOL® AST Antistatic additive

ORTEGOL® AST 2 Antistatic additive with reduced tendency for scorch

ORTEGOL® BS 1 Wetting agent for rebonded foam production to reduce binder level

ORTEGOL® CC 2 Cell coarsener for HR, visco and standard ether foams

Additive to reduce splits in low index and filler formulations. Enhances also the elongation properties
ORTEGOL® CXT of the foam.

ORTEGOL® EM Emulsifier for formulations with incompatible components

ORTEGOL® FLA Flame lamination additive for ether foam

ORTEGOL® FS 1 Foam softening additive based on reduction of the isocyanate index without provoking splits

ORTEGOL® FS 2 Foam softening additive based on reduction of the isocyanate index without provoking splits, amine free

ORTEGOL® G Highly efficient crosslinker for filler containing flexible foams

ORTEGOL® HA 1 Hardening additive for flexible foam formulations

ORTEGOL® HPH 1 Additive to enhance the wetting of foam by liquids, especially water

ORTEGOL® HPH 2 Additive to enhance the wetting of foam by liquids, especially water

ORTEGOL® LA & LA2 Aldehyde scavenger

Additive to stabilize dispersions of solid powder particles in polyol and compatibilizer for incompatible
ORTEGOL® PE40 polyol blends

ORTEGOL® VCO Potent cell opener for viscoelastic foams

TEGOCOLOR® color pastes Coloring additives

TEGOAMIN® DEOA 85 Crosslinker for HR foam production

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Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH
Goldschmidtstraße 100
45127 Essen
Germany
Phone +49 201 173-3006
polyurethane@evonik.com
www.evonik.com/polyurethane-additives
For more detailed information or to obtain a brochure
which addresses a specific area of interest, please visit
our website.
This information and all further technical advice are
based on our present knowledge and experience.
However, it implies no liability or other legal respon­
sibility on our part, including with regard to existing
third party intellectual property rights, especially pat-
ent rights. In particular, no warranty, whether express
or implied, or guarantee of product properties in the
05/2019
To discuss your Polyurethane Additives
for comfort foam requirements, or for
more information about regional product
availability, Please visit:
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legal sense is intended or implied. We reserve the
right to make any changes according to technological
­progress or further developments. The customer is
not released from the obligation to conduct careful in-
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of the product described herein should be verified
by testing, which should be carried out only by quali-
fied experts in the sole responsibility of a customer.
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similar p
­ roducts could not be used. www.evonik.com/pu-contacts