CN113631611B

CN113631611B - Polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam blocks of the insulating body of a tank and method for the production thereof

Info

Publication number: CN113631611B
Application number: CN202080024116.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 纪尧姆·德康巴利尤; 布鲁诺·德莱特; 弗洛里安·克鲁普
Original assignee: Gaztransport et Technigaz SA
Current assignee: Gaztransport et Technigaz SA
Priority date: 2019-03-26
Filing date: 2020-03-16
Publication date: 2024-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 2040-03-16
Also published as: FR3094451B1; EP3947504A1; WO2020193874A1; KR20210146953A; JP7541996B2; CN113631611A; FR3094451A1; JP2022528619A; SG11202110316VA

Abstract

The present invention relates to a polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block of fibers wherein the density of the fibers increases from a lower density range of 1% to 9.99% by weight of the fibers (10) to an upper density range of 10% to 35% by weight of the fibers (10) along the thickness of the block from the bottom surface to the top surface thereof.

Description

Polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam blocks of the insulating body of a tank and method for the production thereof

Technical Field

The subject of the invention is a fiber-reinforced Polyurethane (PUR) and/or Polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam block assembled in an insulating body, which, considering their specific application, must exhibit very specific mechanical and thermal properties while being able to be produced as economically as possible. The foam blocks are used in tanks integrated in membrane structures (also called integrated tanks) or in self-supporting/semi-supporting tanks of type a, type B or type C for containing extremely cold fluids (called cryogenic fluids), such as in particular liquefied natural gas (LNG, french abbreviation GNL) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, french abbreviation GPL).

The invention also relates to a method for producing foam blocks from at least one polyisocyanate and at least one polyol.

More particularly, the invention finally relates to a sealed and thermally insulated tank using such foam, a vessel equipped with at least one such tank, a method of loading/unloading such a vessel and a transfer system for liquid products contained in such a vessel.

Background

Polyurethane PUR foam is a porous insulating material consisting of fine cells (fine cells) storing a gas having low thermal conductivity. PUP foams are used in a large number of applications, such as in the automotive industry in the form of flexible PUR foams or in the form of rigid PUR foams for insulation. The formation of polyurethane-type foams is well known to those skilled in the art. The formation involves a multicomponent reaction between a polyol (a compound bearing at least two hydroxyl groups), a polyisocyanate (a compound bearing at least two isocyanate-NCO functional groups) and a swelling agent (also denoted by the term "blowing agent"). The condensation reaction is in particular catalyzed by basic and/or nucleophilic compounds, such as tertiary amines or metal-carboxylate complexes, for example tin salts or bismuth salts. The polyols conventionally used for producing PUR foams are polyether polyols or polyester polyols. Thus, a large amount of compounds is required to form PUR foam.

Polyisocyanurate (PIR) and polyurethane/polyisocyanurate (PUR-PIR) foams are also used in the construction industry (construction/renovation) and exhibit the advantage of providing better fire protection properties and greater compressive strength than PUR. The process for forming these foams is similar to that used to form PUR foams. This is because the acquisition of PUR, PIR and PUR-PIR foams depends on the isocyanate/polyol ratio.

PUR, PIR and PUR-PIR foams are well known to those skilled in the art. However, the addition of fibres presents specific technical problems, such as the need for good impregnation of the fibres, resulting in the absence of foams that currently exhibit a relatively high content of fibres, at least locally.

Indeed, in the technical field specific to the use of such foams in tank insulating bodies, the faces of the body exposed to the tank interior space are subjected to very low temperatures, for example about-160 ℃ in the case of LNG, whereas the tank exterior space (typically the hull of a ship) often exhibits a higher ambient temperature, at least equal to, indeed even much higher than the ambient temperature of the surrounding air or sea under consideration (around 20 ℃).

Thus, when used in such tank insulation bodies, PUR, PIR and PUR-PIR foam blocks will experience a very significant temperature gradient along their thickness during loading with the extreme cold fluid (referred to as the cryogenic fluid), which causes non-uniform shrinkage of the foam blocks. This uneven shrinkage of the foam block causes a bimetal effect (bimetallic effect) resulting in a tendency of the block to sag along its longitudinal axis due to uneven shrinkage of the block along its thickness, with significant lifting at both ends. Since the foam blocks are usually fixed mechanically or by adhesive bonding, this sagging severely reduces the available mechanical properties of PUR, PIR and PUR-PIR foam blocks, in fact even locally reduces the thermal properties of the insulating body (integrating the foam blocks according to the invention).

In recent years, this phenomenon of bimetal effect or sagging of the foam blocks has been accentuated due to the fact that the thickness of the foam blocks forming the insulation has increased, sometimes very pronounced for such tanks containing cryogenic liquids. In particular, when these tanks comprise a double layer of insulating material, generally denoted "primary" and "secondary" layers, which are furthest from the cryogenic liquid, the thickness E of the secondary insulating material has increased very significantly in recent constructions (for example of the MARK type). Thus, the thickness E of the secondary insulation changes from 170mm (millimeters) in Mark III structures to 300mm in Mark III Flex structures, and 380mm in Mark III Flex+ structures.

When the thickness of the secondary insulation is significantly increased relative to the thickness of the primary insulation, the bimetallic effect or sagging of the secondary layer can have particularly detrimental structural consequences for sealing the insulation body of the insulation can.

Structures such as those described in documents FR 2882756, WO2017/202667 and JP 2005225945 are known, but none of these documents provides a satisfactory solution to the specific technical problems set forth above.

Currently, there are no fiber-reinforced or non-fiber-reinforced polyurethane and/or polyisocyanurate foam blocks that can effectively respond to this problem, in other words, there are no PUR, PIR and PUR-PIR foam blocks that exhibit thermo-mechanical stability between an initial state (in a homogeneous thermal environment) and its operating state (i.e., when it is in a tank containing a cryogenic liquid).

To overcome the problem of deformation or geometrical instability between these two states of foam blocks, specially shaped foam blocks (in particular integrated recesses) or reduced-size foam blocks are currently produced to limit the thermal deformation of each (small) volume element or (small) foam block within an acceptable range. The production of these small foam blocks requires a large number of operations to cut, position and connect them to each other, which represents a significant cost. Furthermore, the presence of many expansion joints very significantly reduces the thermal performance quality of the tank.

Disclosure of Invention

Against this background, applicant company has successfully developed a process for producing Polyurethane (PUR) and/or Polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams containing significant amounts of fibres, which produces fibre-reinforced foams which, while exhibiting excellent mechanical and thermal properties, are capable of retaining their mechanical properties as well as shape/structure throughout the foam block when the block is in use conditions, i.e. in very different thermal environments between its two faces (top or bottom faces).

The present invention therefore aims to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a particularly efficient solution for industrially obtaining fiber-reinforced PUR/PIR foams, the foam obtained possibly having (very) large dimensions, the mechanical/thermal properties of which are optimal and at least substantially similar between their initial state (when left to stand, wherein the foam block is in a substantially homogeneous thermal environment) and its use state (in which the foam block is in a very heterogeneous thermal environment, considered along the thickness E of the block, the temperature difference between its top surface and its bottom surface being at least equal to 80 ℃, indeed even at least equal to 100 ℃).

After various studies and analyses, applicant company has found that fiber-reinforced Polyurethane (PUR) and/or Polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam blocks and the preparation thereof for manufacturing/design purposes can solve technical problems associated with very significant changes in the thermal environment of PUR/PIR foam blocks during their use.

Advantageously, according to a preferred embodiment, the production costs of such fiber-reinforced foam can also be reduced very significantly by reducing the material loss of the foam blocks very significantly (cutting of the foam blocks is often required in the prior art).

The invention therefore relates to a fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block for sealing the insulation body of an insulation tank, the density of the fiber-reinforced foam block being 30kg/m ³ To 300kg/m ³ The fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam blocks have an average fiber density T of between 1% and 60%, preferably between 2% and 30% by weight of the fibers _f And having a width L of at least 10 cm, advantageously between 10 cm and 500 cm, and a thickness E of at least 10 cm, advantageously between 10 cm and 100 cm, from the top surface of the block to its bottom surface, the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block consisting of cells storing a gas, advantageously having a low thermal conductivity.

At least 95wt% of the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam blocks consist of cells, polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam and fibers storing gases that advantageously have a low thermal conductivity.

The foam blocks according to the invention consist (only) of Polyurethane (PUR) and/or Polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam, fibers (preferably fibers of a single nature, such as glass fibers) and cells which trap gas and optionally very small amounts, for example of filler or other functional auxiliary material parts, i.e. wherein for filler or other functional auxiliary material the maximum amount is 5 wt.%, indeed even preferably at most 2 wt.% or 1 wt.% (for fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam blocks at least 98 wt.% or 99 wt.% of the blocks consist of cells storing gas, polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam and fibers). This is because the foam block according to the invention is obtained in the following way:

preferably in a Double Belt Laminator (DBL), in a single operation to make the foam (mixing the reactive ingredients, optional fillers/adjuvants with the fibers);

in the above operation, assisted by the cutting operation, the block is normally free to expand already on its top surface.

The foam is characterized in that the density of the fibres increases from a lower density range of 1% to 9.99% by weight of fibres to an upper density range of 10% to 35% by weight of fibres along the thickness E from the bottom to the top of the block.

The present invention is intended to be particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to cases where the foam blocks are mounted at a secondary layer (commonly referred to as a "sub-layer"). In this application, preferably, the foam block has a thickness of at least twenty-five (25) centimeters (cm), indeed even more preferably at least 30cm or 35 cm.

The expressions "lower limit range" and "upper limit range" are understood to mean two identical parts of a fibre-reinforced foam block, i.e. the foam is cut along a median plane of said block, which passes through the middle of the block (or the height when the block is positioned in the insulating body) along the thickness E.

The terms "upper/top" and "lower/bottom" are understood to refer to the circumstances or directions in which the foam blocks are imparted once they are in place on the insulating body of the tank. Thus, when the insulating body is positioned in the tank, the upper or top surface of the foam block is located near or on the container side of the tank, while the lower or bottom surface of the foam block is oriented towards or on the outer side of the tank, i.e. in case the tank is integrated or installed in a vessel for transporting and/or storing a cryogenic liquid, in particular towards the hull of the vessel.

It is thus understood that during the manufacture or preparation of the foam block, the concepts or terms "upper/top" or "lower/bottom" have not been meant as the foam block has not yet been installed in the insulated body of the tank. In other words, it is entirely possible to obtain a position of the foam block at the outlet of the preparation/manufacturing line for preparing the foam block according to the invention, as opposed to the final embedding/assembly position in the insulating body of the tank.

The expression "cells storing gas" is understood to mean the fact that: polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foams have closed cells encapsulating a gas, exhibit low thermal conductivity, originate from the gas injected during the nucleation stage of the reaction mixture, or directly or indirectly from chemical or physical expanding agents.

The term "fiber" or the expression "fiber reinforcement" is understood to refer to the fact that fibers may be provided in two different forms:

the fibers are provided in the form of at least one fibrous web in which the fibers are fully aligned in at least one direction, in other words, the fibers have at least one advantageous fiber direction. The expression "fibrous web" itself refers to a well-defined technical definition known to the person skilled in the art,

Alternatively, the fibers are provided in the form of at least one fibrous mat, wherein the fibers do not have a definite orientation, in other words, the fibers are oriented substantially isotropically along the principal plane of the mat layer. Likewise, the expression "fiber mat" itself refers to a well-defined technical definition known to the person skilled in the art.

According to one embodiment, the expression "(advantageously) gas with low thermal conductivity" is understood to mean a gas derived from a blowing agent; when the blowing agent is a "chemical blowing agent" it is generated by a chemical reaction of the blowing agent, and when the chemical blowing agent consists of water, it is typically carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) The method comprises the steps of carrying out a first treatment on the surface of the Or from physical blowing agents, e.g. nitrogen molecules (N ₂ ) Oxygen molecule (O) ₂ ) Carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and mixtures thereof and the corresponding alkyl ethers. Physical blowing agents, such as nitrogen molecules N ₂ Oxygen molecule O ₂ Or CO ₂ In gaseous form. These gases are dispersed or dissolved in the liquid substance of the copolymer, for example, under high pressure when using a static mixer. By depressurizing the system, nucleation and growth of bubbles can create a porous structure.

The expression "average density of fibres T _f "is understood to mean the density of fibers expressed by weight of fibers relative to the total weight of the fiber-reinforced foam block, irrespective of the variable local percentage of such fibers (within the block).

Thus, the fiber reinforced foam blocks are suitable not only for tanks integrated in a support structure, but also for self-supporting/semi-supporting tanks of type a, type B or type C according to the (IMO) IGC regulations, i.e. external insulation materials associated with self-supporting tanks for storing and/or transporting very cold liquids, such as LNG or LPG.

Finally, the thermal properties of the fiber reinforced foam blocks are at least the same as those of the prior art non-fiber reinforced foam blocks; more precisely, the foam block has a thermal conductivity along the thickness E of less than 30mW/m.k (milliwatts per kelvin) i.e. 0.03W/m.k, preferably less than 25mW/m.k, more preferably less than 23mW/m.k, measured at 20 ℃, and the foam block has a thermal conductivity of 20mW/m.k under conditions of use i.e. it is located in a tank containing LNG with the top surface of the block at-160 ℃.

Other advantageous features of the invention are briefly described below.

Preferably, the fibers The density of the foam block with enhanced dimensions was 50kg/m ³ To 250kg/m ³ Preferably between 90kg/m ³ And 210kg/m ³ Between them. It should be noted here that for foam blocks used in tanks of the self-supporting type (B-type, C-type) or of the semi-supporting type (A-type), the density of the fiber-reinforced foam blocks preferably ranges from 30kg/m ³ To 90kg/m ³ In the case of films, the preferred density range is 90kg/m ³ To 210kg/m ³ Between them.

Advantageously, the increase in fiber density corresponds to an increase gradient of between 0.05% and 1.5% by weight per cm of fiber, preferably between 0.2% and 1.2% by weight per cm of fiber, relative to the total weight of the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam. These density values are understood to mean the average value of the entire mass.

Advantageously, at least 60%, preferably at least 80% of the cells storing a gas advantageously having a low thermal conductivity have an elongated or elongated shape along an axis parallel to the axis of the thickness E of the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block.

Preferably, the fibers consist of glass fibers or sisal fibers, preferably glass fibers.

Preferably, the fibers are long as continuous fibers.

The expression "fiber is long to continuous" (or "long to continuous fiber") is understood to refer to the fact that: the fibers, or if appropriate, the aggregate of fiber combinations (fibers bonded or fixed to each other) all or at least 90% of the fibers (whether individual or aggregate, forming the equivalent of a single fiber) by the total mass of the fibers, have a length of at least five (5) centimeters (cm).

Preferably, the average density T of the fibers _f Between 2% and 25%, preferably between 4% and 15%.

Preferably, the foam blocks according to the invention are provided in a parallelepiped or cube shape.

It is clearly understood here that a foam block having such a parallelepiped or cubic shape may have one or more partial projections, for example in the form of anchors as given hereinafter, or conversely, have empty or hollow portions, while still being able to be described as a parallelepiped or cubic shape.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lower limit of the fiber density ranges from 2% to 6% by weight of the fibers and the upper limit of the fiber density ranges from 12% to 25% by weight of the fibers.

Advantageously, the bottom and/or top face, preferably the top face, of the block has an anchor which can be engaged with engagement means (not shown in the figures) of the insulating body to fix or anchor the foam block to said body, preferably said anchor being made of a material different from the foam or fibre.

These anchors are advantageously metal elements (these anchors may also be made of plastics/polymers or composites of one or more polymers in combination with ceramic and/or metallic materials), for example with L-shaped attachment lugs, in order to engage with elements or parts of the insulating body that enclose or house the fiber-reinforced foam blocks. This part of the insulating body may consist of a metal film for sealing the container, for example made of stainless steel, or based on manganese (in the case of membrane tanks), or of a moisture barrier (with the technical function of ensuring a seal against the external environment of the tank) in the case of self-supporting or semi-supporting tanks of type a, type B or type C. In one possibility provided by the invention, this element or this part of the insulating body (in membrane tanks) has a recess or the like intended to allow engagement with the part of the anchor for mechanical maintenance or retention of the fibre-reinforced foam block with other insulating block elements. Of course, these anchors may also have the function of anchoring the foam block to the hull (in the case of membrane tanks) or to a self-supporting structure (in the case of a type a, B or C self-supporting tanks), it being understood that these anchors are those present on the bottom surface of the foam block.

In the context of the present invention, these anchors are at least partially inserted into the fibre reinforcement, i.e. those constituting the lower or upper layer of the fibre reinforcement stack, so that they can be positioned on the face of the foam block after it has been prepared/completed, but do not protrude from said face.

Advantageously, in the context of the present invention, these anchors are only present on the top surface of the fibre-reinforced foam block (because of the high fibre density) so that the anchors are firmly attached to the fibre-reinforced foam block.

Advantageously, the fiber-reinforced foam blocks according to the invention comprise a flame retardant in a proportion of 0.1% by weight and 5% by weight, the flame retardant being of the organophosphorus type, advantageously Triethylphosphate (TEP), tris (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP), tris (1, 3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCP), tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate, or tris (2, 3-dibromopropyl) phosphate, or a mixture thereof; or inorganic flame retardant, advantageously red phosphorus, expandable graphite, aluminum oxide hydrate, antimony trioxide, arsenic oxide, ammonium polyphosphate, calcium sulfate, or cyanuric acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof.

The invention also relates to a sealed and thermally insulated tank integrated in a support structure, said tank comprising:

Tank integrated in a support structure, comprising a sealed insulated tank comprising at least one sealed metal film consisting of a plurality of metal strakes or plates capable of comprising corrugations, and an insulated body comprising at least one insulating barrier adjacent to said film, or

A type a, type B or type C storage tank as defined according to IGC regulations comprising at least one thermally insulating body.

The tank according to the invention is characterized in that the insulating body comprises a plurality of fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam blocks as briefly described above.

The expression "IGC regulations" is understood to mean "international bulk transport liquefied gas vessel construction and equipment regulations" as known to the person skilled in the art, such as the cited type B and type C tanks.

It should be noted that, particularly in the IGC regulations, the term "membrane tank" may be used instead of the term "integrated tank" to denote the same and the same type of tank, which is particularly equipped in a tanker for transporting and/or storing at least partially liquefied gas. "membrane tanks" are integrated in a support structure, while type a, type B or type C tanks are considered self-supporting, or semi-supporting (in particular type a).

The tank comprises a plurality of fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam blocks directly obtained by the above described preparation method.

Finally, the invention also relates to a vessel for transporting cold liquid products, comprising at least one hull and a sealed and thermally insulated tank as briefly described above, positioned in the hull or mounted on the vessel when the tank is a type a, type B or type C tank as defined according to the IGC regulations.

Advantageously, in the case of tanks consisting of tanks integrated in a supporting structure (membrane tanks), such a vessel comprises at least one sealed and thermally insulated tank as described above, said tank comprising two consecutive sealing barriers, one primary sealing barrier in contact with the product contained in the tank and the other secondary sealing barrier, located between the primary barrier and the supporting structure, preferably formed by at least a portion of the wall of the vessel, alternating with two or a single thermally insulating barrier, located between the primary barrier and the supporting structure.

Such tanks are commonly referred to as integrated tanks, e.g. NO type tanks, including NO, according to International Maritime Organization (IMO) specificationsNO/>NO/>Or NO 96->Or MARK->MARK/>Flex or FLEX+ type tanks, preferably NO type tanks.

Preferably, the tank is referred to as membrane type or a, B or C type, containing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) or Liquefied Gas (LG).

The invention also relates to a transfer system for a cold liquid product, the system comprising a vessel as described above; an insulated pipeline arranged to connect a storage tank installed in the hull of the vessel to a floating or onshore storage unit; and a pump for driving a flow of cold liquid product from the floating or onshore storage unit to the vessel or from the vessel to the floating or onshore storage unit through the insulated conduit.

The invention also relates to a method for loading or unloading a vessel as defined above, wherein cold liquid product is transported from a floating or onshore storage unit to the vessel or from the vessel to the floating or onshore storage unit through an insulated pipeline.

The invention also relates to a process for preparing a fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block for sealing the insulating body of an insulated tank as briefly described above, said process being characterized in that it comprises the following stages:

a) Mixing the chemical components required for obtaining a polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam, optionally at least one reaction catalyst, optionally at least one emulsifier and at least one blowing agent, wherein the components comprise reactants for obtaining polyurethane/polyisocyanurate,

b) Impregnating a plurality of fibrous reinforcement bodies by gravity flow of a mixture of chemical components, the fibrous reinforcement bodies being positioned in a stack and having a variable fiber density, the fiber density of the top reinforcing layer being at least equal to the fiber density of the bottom reinforcing layer, wherein the fibrous reinforcement bodies extend substantially in a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity flow,

c) Forming and expanding a fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam,

wherein the expansion of the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam is free, i.e. not limited by the closed cross-sectional volume, or

Wherein expansion of the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam is physically limited by the walls of the double belt laminate, preferably by the rectangular cross-section tunnel formed by the walls of the double belt laminate, thereby enveloping the expanded fiber-reinforced foam to obtain the above-mentioned fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block, wherein the distance between the transversely positioned walls of the rectangular cross-section tunnel is L and the distance between the horizontally positioned walls is E.

The expression "emulsifying time" is understood to mean the time required from the mixing (a) of the chemical components, the start of the polymerization reaction of the chemical components and the start of the expansion and crosslinking stage (c) of the component mixture (= formation of the fiber-reinforced PUR/PIR foam). This emulsification time is a known information to those skilled in the art. In other words, the emulsification time is the time that elapses after mixing the chemical components at ambient temperature, under the action of bubble nucleation (cells storing gas) and foam expansion, until the mixture turns white. The emulsification time may be determined by visual inspection or by detecting a change in thickness reflecting foam formation using an ultrasonic sensor.

The expression "the fibrous reinforcement extends substantially in a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity flow of the chemical component mixture" is understood to mean that these fibrous reinforcements provided by (a) extend in the form of a low-thickness layer in a plane perpendicular to the direction of flow of the mixture of said components during the impregnation stage (b). Thus, as shown in fig. 1, in the longitudinal direction I, there are a plurality of fibrous reinforcement bodies of width L and located in the superimposed layers, while the mixture of chemical components is deposited onto the fibrous reinforcement bodies from the dispenser, so that gravity flow of the mixture of chemical components is allowed/made possible. In other words, the mixture of chemical components, optionally under pressure, leaves the dispenser, falls under at least its own weight onto the stacked layers of fibres, impregnating these fibrous reinforcing materials from the upper layer to the lower layer.

Of course, in the case of foam blocks according to the invention prepared by free expansion, the block is then cut at least at the open face, typically the top face, which allows said free expansion to take place, to finally obtain a foam block of size and shape (typically parallelepiped) according to the invention.

The use of chemical blowing agents in the composition according to the invention may be combined with the use of physical expanding agents. In this case, the physical expanding agent is preferably mixed in liquid or supercritical form with the foamable (co) polymer composition and then converted into the gas phase in the expansion stage of the PUR/PIR foam.

Chemical and physical blowing agents are well known to those skilled in the art, and those skilled in the art will choose the appropriate amount of chemical and physical blowing agent depending on the PUR/PIR foam desired.

The term polyol is understood to mean any carbon-based structure bearing at least two OH groups.

Since the obtaining of PUR foam, PIR foam and PUR-PIR foam depends on the ratio of isocyanate/polyol, PUR foam, PIR foam or PUR-PIR foam will be obtained depending on the ratio. When the ratio of polyol component to isocyanate component is:

between 1:1 and 1:1.3, polyurethane PUR foams will be obtained,

between 1:1.3 and 1:1.8, polyurethane-polyisocyanurate PUR-PIR foams will be obtained,

between 1:1.8 and 1:2.8, polyisocyanurate PIR foam will be obtained.

Polyisocyanates suitable for forming PUR foams, PIR foams and PUR-PIR foams are known to those skilled in the art and include, for example, aromatic, aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and araliphatic polyisocyanates, and mixtures thereof, advantageously aromatic polyisocyanates.

Examples of polyisocyanates suitable for use in the scope of the present invention include: aromatic isocyanates such as the 4,4' -, 2,4' -and 2,2' -isomers of diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), toluene 2, 4-and 2, 6-diisocyanate (TDI), m-and p-phenylene diisocyanate, naphthalene 1, 5-diisocyanate; aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or arylaliphatic isocyanates, such as 1, 6-Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HDI), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 4' -dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate (H12 MDI), 1, 4-cyclohexane diisocyanate (CHDI), bis (isocyanatomethyl) cyclohexane (H6 XDI, DDI) and tetramethylxylylene diisocyanate (TMXDI). Any mixture of these diisocyanates may also be used. Advantageously, the polyisocyanates are the 4,4' -, 2,4' -and 2,2' -isomers of diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI).

In general, it is known to add, during the formation of PUR, PIR or PUR-PIR foam, to a mixture comprising polyol, polyisocyanate and blowing agent, a reaction catalyst which may be selected, for example, from tertiary amines such as N, N-dimethylcyclohexylamine or N, N-dimethylbenzylamine, or from organometallic compounds based on bismuth, potassium or tin.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the position of the tunnel wall of the Double Belt Laminator (DBL) is advantageously defined such that the restriction of the expansion of the fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam results in a volume of the fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam at the outlet of the double belt laminator of between 85% and 99%, preferably between 90% and 99% of the expanded volume of the same fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam without free expansion limited by such double belt laminator wall. In this case, in the foam obtained, the cells have an oval shape and are preferably oriented along an axis E, bringing about the advantageous properties of resistance to compression in this direction E (measured according to standard ISO 844), as well as the properties already described in a plane perpendicular to this axis E. Applicant company has conducted tests and experiments to determine the broad and preferred ranges described above, but for the sake of clarity and brevity, this is not described here.

By means of the above-described specific parameterization of the limitation of the expansion of the fiber-reinforced PUR/PIR foam in the DBL, on the one hand, a fiber-reinforced PUR/PIR foam is obtained in which at least 60%, usually more, of the cells storing a gas with a low thermal conductivity are storedAt 80%, indeed even more than 90% extending longitudinally along an axis parallel to the axis of thickness E of the foam block; and in addition to the specific choices related to the properties of the fibrous reinforcement and the viscosity of the mixture of chemical components, also helps to give the fibrous-reinforced foam mass a perfect homogeneity. These two characteristics (in terms of the level and thickness of the mass, orientation of the cells and the fibre content T in the mass _f Is used) makes it possible to obtain a fiber-reinforced foam block having excellent mechanical properties in the thickness E (compressive strength) and in the plane perpendicular to the thickness direction (tensile strength and low coefficient of thermal contraction).

The elongated or elongated shape may be defined by a shape that extends along a length, i.e., it includes a length dimension that is greater than its other dimensions (width and thickness).

According to another embodiment provided by the present invention, the expansion of the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam is free, i.e. not limited by the closed cross-sectional volume imposed.

In this case, unlike the preparation examples using DBL according to the present invention, the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam is prepared by "free expansion" (as long as the expansion of the fiber-reinforced foam is not constrained on at least one side or face of expansion) such that the expansion of the fiber-reinforced foam is free on that side or face, unlike the mold defining a limited volume. Typically, free expansion is performed by omitting the (top) cover, while the side walls prevent the foam from overflowing the sides, and the foam naturally expands upwards, possibly beyond the upper ends of these side walls.

Advantageously, after the free expansion stage of the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam, the fiber-reinforced foam is cut to obtain the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam blocks described above.

According to one possibility provided by the invention (not shown in the figures), a system for applying pressure (which may for example be a roller system of the type called "nip roller") is applied to the mixture of components impregnating the fibers and at least the foaming agent after the impregnation stage of the fiber reinforcement, which system is intended to apply pressure to the top surface of the combination of the mixture and the fibers. The pressure system on the one hand makes it possible to smooth the top surface of the component and, by means of the pressure exerted on the component, helps to promote impregnation of the fibres in the above-mentioned mixture. The pressure system may consist of a single roller or a twin roller, the relative position of the rollers above the liquid composition and possibly below the foam support being adjusted to spread the liquid composition perfectly and evenly. Thus, in so doing, an equal amount of liquid composition is obtained at any point in the cross-section defined by the spacing between the two rollers or between the upper roller and the conveyor belt. In other words, the primary purpose of the pressure system is to complement the liquid dispensing device, as it helps to homogenize the thickness/width of the liquid component before its main portion expands.

Preferably, the dynamic viscosity η of the above-mentioned mixture of components is between 30mpa.s and 3000mpa.s, preferably between 50mpa.s and 1500 mpa.s.

Advantageously, at least 60% of the cells above-mentioned, advantageously storing a gas having a low thermal conductivity, exhibit an elongated or elongated shape along an axis parallel to the axis of the thickness E of the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block.

More advantageously, at least 80%, preferably at least 90% of the cells above-mentioned advantageously stored with a gas having a low thermal conductivity exhibit an elongated or elongated shape along an axis parallel to the axis of thickness E of the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block.

It is clearly understood here that this characteristic, which relates to the elongated shape of the cells storing the gas advantageously having a low thermal conductivity and the content/proportion of cells in the mass according to the invention, is particularly directed to the case of carrying out the preparation process with DBL, but is by no means limited to this case. This is because this preferred orientation of the cells storing the gas advantageously having a low thermal conductivity is also obtained in the case of free expansion, more particularly when the upper wall/cover does not limit the expansion of the fibre-reinforced foam.

Preferably, the fibers (fiber reinforcement) are positioned over the entire width L by stage b) of impregnating the fibers with the mixture of components, and the blowing agent is positioned simultaneously over the entire width L by a controlled liquid dispenser to obtain a fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam.

The term "simultaneous" is understood to mean that the liquid mixture (reactants and at least blowing agent) reaches the fibres along the whole width L cross-section simultaneously along this cross-section, so that the impregnation of the different fibre-reinforcement starts or proceeds simultaneously or at the same rate along the thickness (or height) of the foam block and on the same cross-section of the width.

Advantageously, the foaming agent consists of a physical and/or chemical expansion agent, preferably a combination of the two.

Preferably, the physical expanding agent is selected from alkanes and cycloalkanes having at least 4 carbon atoms, dialkyl ethers, esters, ketones, acetals, fluoroalkanes, fluoroalkenes having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and tetraalkylsilanes having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain (particularly tetramethylsilane), or mixtures thereof.

Under this assumption, as examples of the compound, the following may be mentioned: propane, n-butane, isobutane, cyclobutane, n-pentane, isopentane, cyclopentane, cyclohexane, dimethyl ether, methylethyl ether, methylbutyl ether, methyl formate, acetone, and fluoroalkanes; the fluoroalkanes selected are those which do not degrade the ozone layer, such as trifluoropropane, 1, 2-tetrafluoroethane, difluoroethane and heptafluoropropane. Examples of fluoroolefins include 1-chloro-3, 3-trifluoropropene or 1, 4-hexafluorobutene (e.g., HFO FEA1100 sold by DuPont).

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the physical expanding agent selected is 1, 3-pentafluoropropane or HFC-245fa (sold by Honeywell) 1, 3-pentafluorobutane or 365mfc (e.g. sold by Solvay)365 mfc), 2, 3-tetrafluoroprop-1-ene 1,2, 3-heptafluoropropane (also internationally known as HFC-227ea, for example sold by DuPont), 1, 4-Hexafluorobutene (e.g., HFO FEA1100 sold by DuPont), trans-1-chloro-3, 3-trifluoropropene (solvent LBA-Honeywell), or mixtures thereof.

Advantageously, the chemical expansion agent consists of water.

Advantageously, in the mixing stage a) of the chemical components, a nucleation gas is incorporated into the at least one polyol compound, preferably using a static/dynamic mixer, at a pressure of from 20 bar to 250 bar, wherein the nucleation gas comprises between 0% and 50% by volume of the polyol, preferably between 0.05% and 20% by volume of the polyol.

Preferably, the temperature of each of the reactants for obtaining polyurethane/polyisocyanurate during the mixing stage a) of the chemical components is between 10 ℃ and 40 ℃, preferably between 15 ℃ and 30 ℃.

Preferably, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the streams of polyol, isocyanate and/or blowing agent are finally mixed in a mixing head at low pressure (< 20 bar) or at high pressure (> 50 bar) using a dynamic or static mixer.

According to one possibility offered by the present invention, an organophosphorus flame retardant is additionally added to the mixture in stage a), advantageously triethyl phosphate (TEP), tris (2-chloropropyl) phosphate (TCPP), tris (1, 3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCP), tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate or tris (2, 3-dibromopropyl) phosphate, or mixtures thereof; or an inorganic flame retardant, advantageously red phosphorus, expandable graphite, aluminum oxide hydrate, antimony trioxide, arsenic oxide, ammonium polyphosphate, calcium sulfate or cyanuric acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof.

It is also conceivable to use diethyl ethylphosphonate (DEEP), triethyl phosphate (TEP), dimethyl propylphosphonate (DMPP) or diphenyl cresyl phosphate (DPC) as flame retardant.

When flame retardants are present in the compositions according to the invention, the amount is found to be between 0.01wt% and 25wt% of the PUR/PIR foam.

Drawings

The following description is given by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the different stages of a process for preparing a fiber-reinforced PUR/PIR foam block according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a controlled liquid dispenser according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of two sets of insulation panels secured to one another, the two sets of insulation panels forming a primary insulation space and a secondary insulation space, respectively, of a tank, the panels being formed from a plurality of fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam blocks according to the invention.

Fig. 4 is a partial view of a foam block according to the invention, wherein a plurality of anchors have been arranged during the preparation of the foam block in order to be able to fix or anchor the foam block.

Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of an anchor, which is visible along a schematic section (cut), capable of being inserted into a foam block according to the invention.

Figure 6 is a schematic cut-away view of a tank of an LNG tanker and a loading/unloading terminal for the tank, wherein the tank is fitted with two sets of insulation panels of the type shown in figure 3.

Detailed Description

Preferably, the preparation of the fiber-reinforced PUR/PIR according to the present invention is carried out in the presence of a catalyst capable of promoting the isocyanate/polyol reaction. Such compounds are described, for example, in the prior art literature under the title "KunststoffHandBuch, volume 7, polyurethane", published by Carl Hanser in 1993, 393 edition, chapter 3.4.1. These compounds include amine-type catalysts or organic-type catalysts.

Preferably, the preparation of the fiber-reinforced PUR/PIR foam blocks according to the invention is carried out in the presence of one or more stabilizers for promoting the formation of a regular cellular structure during the formation of the foam. These compounds are well known to those skilled in the art and, for example, foam stabilizers comprising polysiloxanes such as siloxane-alkylene oxide copolymers and other organopolysiloxanes may be mentioned.

The person skilled in the art knows the amount of stabilizer to be used, depending on the reactants envisaged, between 0.5% and 4% by weight of the PUR/PIR foam.

According to one possibility provided by the invention, during stage a) of the preparation process, the mixture of chemical components may comprise plasticizers, for example polyesters of carboxylic acids with monohydric alcohols, preferably dibasic esters, or may consist of polymeric plasticizers, such as polyesters of adipic acid, sebacic acid and/or phthalic acid. The person skilled in the art knows the amount of plasticizer envisaged, generally from 0.05% to 7.5% by weight of the polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam, depending on the reactants used.

Organic and/or inorganic fillers, in particular reinforcing fillers, such as siliceous minerals, metal oxides (e.g. kaolin, titanium or iron oxides) and/or metal salts, can also be envisaged in the mixture of chemical components. If they are present in the mixture, the amount of these fillers is generally between 0.5% and 15% by weight of the PUR/PIR foam.

It should be noted that the present invention is not intended to provide technical teaching to the formation of PUR/PIR foam in terms of the nature of the basic chemical components and optional functional agents and their respective amounts. The person skilled in the art knows how to obtain different types of fibre-reinforced PUR/PIR foams and the preparation thereof involves a specific choice from the characteristics of the fibre reinforcement, in particular the fibre density in the fibre reinforcement and from the foam used for impregnating the reinforcement.

Thus, as shown herein, the object of the present invention is not primarily directed to the new chemical preparation of fiber-reinforced PUR/PIR foam, but rather to novel fiber-reinforced PUR/PIR foam blocks wherein the fiber-reinforced foam blocks do not undergo any sagging (or undergo minimal sagging) or any deformation of conventional parallelepiped shapes/structures by virtue of the unique gradient of fiber density along the thickness or height of the block.

Thus, as can be seen in fig. 1, a plurality of fibrous reinforcement 10 are unwound and transported in parallel arrangement with each other onto or over a conveyor belt 11 intended to carry these reinforcement 10 and the components forming the PUR/PIR foam. This is because, in the context of the present invention, the impregnation of the fibrous reinforcement 10 is carried out by gravity, i.e. the mixture 12 of chemical components, blowing agent and optionally other functional agents for obtaining the PUR/PIR foam is poured directly onto the fibers 10 from a liquid dispenser located above the fibrous reinforcement 10.

Therefore, the mixture 12 must be emulsified at time t _c During which the fibrous reinforcement 10 is impregnated in a very uniform manner, whether these reinforcements involve mats or fabrics, so that the PUR/PIR foam begins to expand after the fibrous reinforcement 10 has been determined to be fully impregnated with the mixture 12 or at the earliest just at the moment the fibrous reinforcement 10 is determined to be fully impregnated with the mixture 12. In this case, by observing the characteristics of the fiber reinforcement and the PUR/PIR foam defined according to the present invention, expansion of the PUR/PIR foam is achieved while maintaining a perfectly specific distribution of the fibers 10 in the volume of the PUR/PIR foam mass, thereby obtaining the desired fiber density gradient.

The subject of the invention is achieved by positioning the fibrous reinforcements parallel to each other, i.e. in the form of a stack, each of which it is possible to achieve a fiber density, i.e. the weight of fibers relative to the fibrous reinforced foam-greater or lesser relative to the others, taking into account a given volume. Thus, the top layer fibrous reinforcement can achieve a greater fiber density than the bottom layer. More specifically, if all fibrous reinforcements are considered, the fiber density of the upper fibrous reinforcement is at least equal to the fiber density of the lower fibrous reinforcement, and if all fibrous reinforcements are considered, the fiber density of the upper fibrous reinforcement (i.e. those at the top of the stack) is at least twice, indeed even preferably at least three times, the fiber density of the lower fibrous reinforcement (i.e. those at the bottom of the stack).

In the context of the present invention, the local density of the fibers is expressed in a fiber-reinforced foam block, which also corresponds to defining the fiber density in the upper half of the block as 10% to 35% by weight of the fibers, preferably 10.01% to 25% by weight of the fibers, and the fiber density in the lower half of the PUR/PIR foam block as 1% to 9.99% by weight of the fibers, preferably 6% to 9.9% by weight of the fibers.

According to another expression of the invention, a positive gradient of the density of the fibers in the block (by weight of the foam block) is established from its bottom surface to its top surface, ranging from (+) 0.1% to (+) 2% by weight per cm of fiber, preferably ranging from (+) 0.05% to (+) 1.5% by weight per cm of fiber, more preferably ranging from (+) 0.2% to (+) 1.2% by weight per cm of fiber. Of course, here, this is the average gradient calculated with respect to the height or thickness of the fiber reinforced foam block.

In the context of the present invention, the emulsification time of the components of mixture 12 to form the PUR/PIR foam is known to the person skilled in the art and is selected in the following manner: the conveyor belt 11 conveys the composition formed by the mixture 12 of components, blowing agent and fibers 10, for example, to a double belt laminator (not shown in the drawings), the expansion of the foam is started immediately, in other words the expansion of the PUR/PIR foam is terminated at the double belt laminator.

In such an embodiment with a Double Belt Laminator (DBL), a pressure system with one or two rollers is optionally provided before the double belt laminator, i.e. between the area for impregnating the mixture onto the fibers and the double belt laminator. In the case of DBL, the volumetric expansion of the foam is performed in the laminator when the expanded volume of the foam reaches between 30% and 60% of the expanded volume of the same foam without any constraint (the expansion is free). In this case, the double belt laminator will be able to limit the expansion of the PUR/PIR foam in the second expansion phase when the expansion of the PUR/PIR foam is close or relatively close to its maximum expansion, i.e. when its expansion brings the foam close to all walls of the double belt laminator forming a channel of rectangular or square cross section. According to a different way of presenting a specific choice of the preparation according to the invention, the gel point of the component mixture, i.e. the moment when the component mixture reaches at least 60% polymerization, in other words 70% to 80% of the maximum volume expansion of the mixture, should take place in the double belt laminator, possibly in the latter half of the length of the double belt laminator (i.e. the part closer to the outlet of the laminator than the laminator inlet).

The function of simultaneous dispensing of the mixture 12 of chemical components and foaming agent over the entire width L of the fiber reinforcement 10 is provided here by a controlled liquid dispenser 15 shown in fig. 2. Such a dispenser 15 comprises a feed channel 16 for a composition formed by a mixture 12 of chemical components and at least a foaming agent from a reservoir (not shown in the figures) forming a reactant mixer, where, on the one hand, all chemical components are mixed with the foaming agent and, on the other hand, in particular nucleation, indeed even heating, of such a mixture takes place. The liquid composition formed by the mixture 12 of chemical components and foaming agent is then dispensed under pressure in two channels 17, the two channels 17 extending transversely to the respective ends of two identical dispensing panels 18, along a width L (each having a length substantially equal to L/2), comprising a plurality of nozzles 19 for flowing said mixture 12 over the fibrous reinforcement 10. These flow nozzles 19 consist of holes having calibrated cross-sections of predetermined length. The length of these flow nozzles 19 is thus predetermined such that the liquid leaves at the same flow rate between all nozzles 19, so that the impregnation of the fiber reinforcement 10 takes place together or simultaneously over the cross section of the width L of the fiber reinforcement 10 and the surface density of the liquid arranged at right angles to each nozzle is equal. In so doing, if a cross-section of the width L of the fibers 10 is considered, it is impregnated simultaneously as the mixture 12 flows under gravity, so that the mixture 12 impregnates the layers of fibers 10 in the same manner at all points of the cross-section, which helps to obtain a fiber-reinforced foam mass at the outlet of the dual-tape laminator where the local density of the fibers corresponds exactly to the fiber density of each stack of fiber reinforcements.

The controlled liquid dispenser 15 shown in this fig. 2 is an exemplary embodiment using two identical dispensing panels 18, but different designs are conceivable as long as the function of simultaneously dispensing liquid over the width cross section of the fiber 10 can be achieved. The main technical feature used in this example is, of course, that the different lengths of the flow nozzles 19, in terms of the nozzles 19 under consideration, depend more or less on the route or path of the liquid mixture 12 from the feed pipe 16 of the distributor 15.

For the emulsification time t exactly at PUR/PIR foam _c An important aspect of achieving a good impregnation of the fibrous reinforcement 10 before is that the specific viscosity of the selected liquid (mixture 12 of chemical components and foaming agent) is related to the specific properties of the different fibrous reinforcements, which may vary with the density of the fibers. The viscosity range and the permeability characteristics of the fiber reinforcement must be chosen such that the liquid can penetrate well into the fibers 10 of the first layer in order to reach the underlying layer up to the final layer (the lower layer of fibers 10, i.e. at the lowermost side of the stack of fiber reinforcements) so that the impregnation time t of the resulting fibers 10 is _i In the composition given by the chemical composition substantially corresponds to, but is always less than, the emulsifying time t _c Is within a period of time of (2). The viscosity of the mixture of components 12 is selected, for example by heating, addition of plasticizers and/or by more or less nucleation, so that all the fibers 10 in the cross section of the width L are impregnated by the mixture of chemical components and blowing agent 12 just before the emulsification time, i.e. before the start of the expansion of the PUR/PIR foam or just before it starts.

Fiber reinforced foam blocks are intended for very specific environments and therefore specific mechanical and thermal properties must be ensured. Thus, the fiber reinforced foam blocks obtained according to the preparation method of the present invention generally form part of the insulating body 30 intended to receive extremely cold liquids (such as LNG or LPG), i.e. in the example used in fig. 3, the upper or main plate 31 and/or the lower or secondary plate 32 of the insulating body 30 of the tank 71. Such a tank 71 may be equipped with, for example, a surface tank, a floating barge, etc. (such as an FSRU "floating storage regasification unit" or FGNL "floating liquefied natural gas") or a vessel such as a GNL tanker that transfers such high energy liquids between two ports.

The foam block according to the invention shown in fig. 4 comprises a plurality of anchors 40 distributed over the different faces of the foam block, namely the top face 41 and the side faces 42, 43. These anchors 40 are placed flush with the surface of the faces 41, 42, 43 of the foam block, without exhibiting a foam thickness covering it (or not being very thick) and/or protecting it from external influences.

Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of such an anchor 40 in a cut-away view. The anchor 40 has a plate 44 extending along a plane. The plate 44 comprises a plurality of holes 45, which consist of mechanical anchoring means, in other words one of the two elements, so that the foam block can be fixed in or to the insulating body of the tank when engaged with an element of the insulating body (not shown in the figures). The plate 44 further comprises a plurality of identical fixing studs 46 and a central fixing stud 47 having a larger size than the fixing studs 46. The function of these studs 46, 47 consists in securing the anchors 40 as well as possible in the fibre-reinforced foam blocks according to the invention. The fixing studs 46 are desirably positioned circumferentially to form a circle proximate the circumference or outer perimeter of the anchor 40.

The anchor 40 as shown in fig. 5 is advantageously placed on the conveyor belt 11, then the studs 46, 47 are oriented upwards, and the plate 44 rests on said belt 11.

However, it is also conceivable to place these anchors 40 on the top surface 41 of the block, indeed even on the side surfaces 42, 43, as can be seen on the block shown in fig. 4. In the latter case, the studs 46, 47 may advantageously be at least slightly embedded in the adjacent/neighboring fibre mat before the fibre mat is impregnated with the polymer foam.

Of course, one of these holes 45 of the anchor 40 may be used, for example, to form a concave portion of the anchor, but it may also be provided that the anchor requires the use of multiple holes 45. Furthermore, these holes 45 consist of an anchoring solution, but the invention is by no means limited to this embodiment and one or more anchors 40 of different shapes and different mechanical properties are conceivable.

Referring to fig. 6, a cutaway view of an lng tanker 70 shows a generally prismatic-shaped sealed insulated storage tank 71 installed in a double hull 72 of a ship. The walls of the reservoir 71 include: a primary sealing barrier intended to be in contact with LNG contained in the tank; a secondary sealing barrier disposed between the primary sealing barrier and the double hull 72 of the vessel; and two heat insulating barriers respectively arranged between the primary and secondary sealing barriers and between the secondary sealing barrier and the double hull 72.

In a manner known per se, the loading/unloading pipe 73 positioned on the upper deck of the vessel may be connected to a shipping or harbour terminal by means of suitable connectors for transporting LNG cargo from the storage tank 71 or to the storage tank 71.

Fig. 6 shows an example of a shipping terminal comprising a loading and unloading station 75, an underwater pipeline 76 and a land facility 77. The loading and unloading station 75 is a stationary offshore facility that includes a mobile arm 74 and a tower 78, the tower 78 supporting the mobile arm 74. The traveling arm 74 has an insulated flexible tube bundle 79 that can be connected to the load/unload tube 73. The rotating moving arm 74 can accommodate LNG tankers of all sizes. A connection tube (not shown) extends within the tower 78. The loading and unloading station 75 allows LNG tankers 70 to be unloaded to and loaded from the onshore facility 77. The onshore facility 77 comprises a liquefied gas storage tank 80 and a connection pipe 81, the connection pipe 81 being connected to the loading and unloading station 75 by means of an underwater pipe 76. The underwater piping 76 allows for long distance (e.g., 5 km) transport of liquefied gas between the loading and unloading station 75 and the onshore facility 77, which allows the LNG tanker 70 to be maintained at a long distance from shore during loading and unloading operations.

Pumps assembled on the vessel 70 and/or provided by onshore facilities 77 and/or provided by the loading and unloading station 75 are used to generate the pressure required to deliver the liquefied gas.

As mentioned above, the subject matter of the present invention, i.e. the use or application in respect of fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam blocks, is not intended to be limited to integrated tanks in a support structure, but is also applicable to B and C type tanks of the IGC regulations valid on the date of filing of the present patent application, but is also applicable to future versions of the regulations, unless these B and C type tanks are very greatly modified, it being further understood that other types of tanks may become conceivable for use in the fiber reinforced PUR/PIR foam blocks according to the present invention under such assumption that the IGC regulations are modified.

Next, the subject matter of the present invention and its scope can be evaluated by means of some experiments and tests performed by the applicant company, and other tests/experiments which are considered to have been performed and which will be responsible for being provided later if necessary/desired.

The present invention has been demonstrated using polyurethane foam compositions in which the fibers are incorporated in the form of a mat, these fibers being always long to continuous fibers; more precisely, in the composition according to the invention and the composition according to the prior art, the lengths of these fibres are identical. Applicant company tests the subject matter of the present invention with fibers in particular, either short or provided in fabric form, and the results obtained are identical or practically similar to those obtained with fiber mats that are long to continuous, as shown below.

Thus, in order to ensure that only certain features of the fiber density of the fiber reinforcement are combined with the selection of PUR foam, in particular exhibiting a certain emulsification time, or that only one feature suitable for the fiber reinforcement is combined, the other parameters of the preparation of PIR foam nuggets are not changed or differ between the preparation according to the invention and the preparation according to the prior art. As non-exhaustive examples, the following facts may be mentioned: the distances between nucleation, the amount of blowing agent, the reaction temperature, the nature and amount of the mixture of chemical components, the casting process, the casting of the mixture of chemical components that can achieve free expansion and the DBL or the means that make free expansion possible, if appropriate, are exactly the same both in the case according to the invention and in the case according to the prior art.

Of course, in this case, for clarity and brevity, PUR foam has been chosen to illustrate the invention, but equivalent or nearly similar results have been obtained using PIR foam and PUR/PIR mixtures.

Also, the results show that the following fiber reinforced foam preparation uses free expansion techniques, but applicant company has shown that equivalent or almost similar results have been obtained with DBL from the point of view of the fiber reinforced foam according to the invention and the fiber reinforced foam according to the prior art.

Furthermore, it should be understood that all compositions in successive tests are considered under the same density conditions, and that the density parameter relates to the performance quality assessment in terms of compressive strength.

For the compositions according to the prior art, the characteristics of the fibrous reinforcement and of the PUR foam are as follows:

TABLE 1

For the composition according to the invention, the characteristics of the fibrous reinforcement and of the PUR foam are as follows:

TABLE 2

It should be noted that for the compositions according to the prior art and according to the invention, the emulsifying times used for the PUR foams described above should be logically identical, since the foams used are in any case identical.

After the tests have been carried out, some results are given below in a simplified manner, illustrating the findings of the applicant company in the case of fiber reinforcement provided in the form of at least one glass fiber mat.

TABLE 3

It should be noted that the first composition of table 3 above (8 layers of blocks of thickness 180mm U809 or U801) consists of a composition according to document FR 2882756. The results of such a composition according to this document are significantly inferior to those obtained with the composition according to the invention (final composition of table 3).

From the results given in the above table, it can be seen that the fibre-reinforced foam according to the invention shows significantly better results than the fibre-reinforced foam according to the prior art for the three criteria considered for comparing the obtained fibre-reinforced foam.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the fiber-reinforced PUR/PIR foam according to the invention does not show any significant deterioration of properties related to (very low) thermal conductivity. Thus, for example, for a fiber-reinforced foam according to the invention, exhibiting a fiber density gradient of 1wt% per cm (from the bottom to the top surface of the fiber-reinforced foam block), the following thermal conductivity values are obtained:

TABLE 4

While the invention has been described in connection with a number of specific embodiments, it is to be very clear that the invention is not so limited in any way and that it includes all technical equivalents of the described means as well as combinations thereof, provided that they fall within the scope of the invention.

Use of the verb "comprise" or "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim.

In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

Claims

1. A fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block sealing the insulation body of an insulation tank, wherein the density of the fiber reinforced foam block is 30kg/m ³ To 300kg/m ³ The fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam blocks have an average fiber density T of between 1% and 60% by weight of the fibers _f And having a width L of at least 10 cm and a thickness E of at least 10 cm from the top to the bottom of the block, the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanidesThe urethane foam block consists of cells storing a gas, characterized in that:

the fiber density increases along the thickness E from a lower density range of 1% to 9.99% by weight of the fibers to an upper density range of 10% to 35% by weight of the fibers from the bottom surface to the top surface of the block, and the increase in fiber density corresponds to an increasing gradient of between 0.05% to 1.5% by weight of fibers per centimeter relative to the total weight of the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam.

2. The fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block of claim 1, wherein the fiber reinforced foam block has a density of 50kg/m ³ To 250kg/m ³ Between them.

3. The fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least 60% of the cells storing gas have an elongated or elongated shape along an axis parallel to the axis of the thickness E of the fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block.

4. The fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block of claim 1 or 2, wherein the fibers consist of glass fibers or sisal fibers.

5. The fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block of claim 1 or 2, wherein the fibers are long to continuous fibers.

6. The fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the average fiber density T _f Between 2% and 25%.

7. The fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block of claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower limit of the fiber density ranges from 2% to 6% by weight of the fiber; and the upper limit of the fiber density ranges from 12% to 25% by weight of the fiber.

8. The fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block of claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom and/or top surface of the block has anchors engageable with engagement means of the insulating body to anchor the foam block to the insulating body.

9. The fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block according to claim 1 or 2 comprising an organic phosphorus or inorganic flame retardant in a ratio of 0.1wt% and 5 wt%.

10. The fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block according to claim 9 wherein the organophosphorus flame retardant is selected from triethyl phosphate (TEP), tris (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP), tris (1, 3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCP), tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate, or tris (2, 3-dibromopropyl) phosphate, or mixtures thereof; the inorganic flame retardant is selected from red phosphorus, expandable graphite, aluminum oxide hydrate, antimony trioxide, arsenic oxide, ammonium polyphosphate, calcium sulfate or cyanuric acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof.

11. A sealed and thermally insulated tank, the tank consisting of:

tank integrated in a support structure comprising a sealed and thermally insulated tank comprising at least one sealed metal film consisting of a plurality of metal strakes or plates capable of comprising corrugations, and a thermally insulated body comprising at least one thermally insulating barrier adjacent to the film, or

A type a, B or C tank, as defined by IGC regulations, comprising at least one thermally insulating body,

characterized in that the insulating body comprises a plurality of fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam blocks according to any of the preceding claims.

12. A vessel for transporting cold liquid products, the vessel comprising at least one hull and one sealed and thermally insulated tank according to claim 11, the sealed and thermally insulated tank being positioned in the hull or mounted on the vessel when the tank is a type a, type B or type C tank as defined according to IGC regulations.

13. A delivery system for a cold liquid product, the system comprising a vessel according to claim 12; an insulated conduit arranged to connect a sealed insulated tank installed in the hull of the vessel to a floating or onshore storage unit; and a pump for driving a flow of cold liquid product through the insulated conduit from the floating or onshore storage unit to the vessel or from the vessel to the floating or onshore storage unit.

14. A method for loading or unloading a vessel according to claim 12, wherein cold liquid product is transported from a floating or onshore storage unit to the vessel or from the vessel to a floating or onshore storage unit through an insulated pipeline.

15. A process for preparing a fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block of an insulating body of a sealed insulating tank according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises the following stages:

b) Impregnating a plurality of fibrous reinforcement by gravity flow of a mixture of said chemical components, said fibrous reinforcement being positioned in a stack and having a variable density, the fibrous density of the top reinforcing layer being at least equal to the fibrous density of the bottom reinforcing layer, wherein said fibrous reinforcement extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction of said gravity flow,

c) Forming and expanding the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam,

Wherein expansion of the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam is physically limited by the walls of the dual tape laminate, thereby encapsulating the expanded fiber-reinforced foam to obtain the fiber-reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block.

16. The method of making a fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block sealing the insulation body of an insulation tank of claim 15, wherein expansion of the fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam is physically limited by a rectangular cross-section tunnel formed by walls of a double belt lamination machine, the distance between laterally positioned walls of the rectangular cross-section tunnel being L and the distance between horizontally positioned walls being E, thereby encapsulating the expanded fiber reinforced foam to obtain the fiber reinforced polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam block.