Low-odor foamed polyurethane catalyst ZF-11: Choice to meet the needs of high-standard polyurethane in the future

Date：2025-03-12 Categories：News

Low odor foamed polyurethane catalyst ZF-11: the best choice for the future market

In today’s society, people’s requirements for quality of life are increasing, and as one of the indispensable materials in modern industry, polyurethane (PU) has also ushered in new development opportunities and challenges. From furniture to cars, from building insulation to sports equipment, polyurethane is everywhere. However, with the increase in environmental awareness and consumers’ attention to health needs, the possible problems of harmful substances, pungent odors and other harmful substances in traditional polyurethane products have gradually become bottlenecks in the development of the industry. Against this background, the low-odor foamed polyurethane catalyst ZF-11 came into being. It not only brought technological innovation to the polyurethane industry, but also provided a greener and more environmentally friendly choice for the future market.

The importance of polyurethane catalysts and market status

To understand the uniqueness of the catalyst ZF-11, we first need to understand the importance of polyurethane catalysts throughout the production process. Simply put, a catalyst is a substance that can accelerate the rate of chemical reactions without being consumed. In the preparation of polyurethane, the function of the catalyst is to promote the reaction between isocyanate and polyol (Polyol), thereby forming a final polyurethane product. Without catalysts, this reaction will become extremely slow and cannot even meet the efficiency requirements of industrial production.

The common polyurethane catalysts on the market currently include two major categories: amine catalysts and metal catalysts. Amines catalysts have dominated for a long time due to their high efficiency and wide applicability. However, traditional amine catalysts are often accompanied by strong irritating odors, which not only affects the work environment of workers, but also may lead to odor residue problems in the final product, which in turn affects the consumer’s experience. In addition, although some metal catalysts have low odor properties, they are expensive and may cause potential environmental harm, so they do not completely replace amine catalysts.

It is driven by this dual driving force of market demand and technical contradictions that the research and development of low-odor foamed polyurethane catalyst ZF-11 is particularly important. With its excellent performance, green and environmentally friendly characteristics and excellent cost-effectiveness, this new catalyst is gradually changing the landscape of the polyurethane industry.

Core features and advantages of ZF-11 catalyst

1. Low odor characteristics

The highlight of the catalyst ZF-11 is its “low odor” characteristics. Compared with traditional amine catalysts, ZF-11 significantly reduces the content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced during the reaction through its unique molecular structure design. This improvement not only improves the working environment at the production site, but also reduces odor residues in the finished product, making the final product more in line withModern consumers need health and comfort.

Specifically, the low odor characteristics of ZF-11 are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Reduce VOC emissions: Studies show that the amount of VOC released by ZF-11 during the reaction is only 20%-30% of that of traditional catalysts, greatly reducing air pollution.
Optimize odor perception: Even in high temperature or closed environments, polyurethane products made with ZF-11 will not emit a pungent odor, which makes it particularly suitable for odor-sensitive application scenarios such as interior decoration and household products.
Extend service life: Due to the lack of odor residue, ZF-11 can also effectively delay material aging caused by oxidation or other chemical reactions, thereby improving the durability of the product.

2. High-efficiency catalytic performance

In addition to its low odor characteristics, ZF-11 also performs excellently in catalytic efficiency. It maintains stable activity over a wide temperature range, ensuring rapid progress of reactions. According to experimental data, the foaming speed of polyurethane foam products using ZF-11 is about 15%-20% faster than that of traditional catalysts, and the cell structure is more uniform and delicate.

The following is a comparison table of performance of ZF-11 and other common catalysts:

parameters	ZF-11	Traditional amine catalysts	Metal Catalyst
Catalytic Efficiency (Relative Value)	100	85	90
Odor intensity (grade)	1	5	2
Cell homogeneity (%)	98	90	95
Cost (relative value)	80	60	150

It can be seen from the table that the ZF-11 has reached an ideal balance point in its overall performance: it has both efficient catalytic capabilities and extremely low odor levels, while maintaining relatively reasonable costs.

3. Green and environmental protection concept

With global environmental regulationsAs stricter, companies and consumers are increasingly concerned about the sustainability of their products. The ZF-11 design fully takes this into consideration. Its raw materials are recyclable and the entire production process complies with international environmental standards. For example, ZF-11 does not contain any known carcinogens or Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and is easily degradable and does not cause long-term pollution to soil and water.

In addition, ZF-11 also supports the circular economy development model. By recycling and utilizing discarded polyurethane products, resource consumption and carbon emissions can be further reduced, and a truly green closed-loop production can be achieved.

Analysis of application fields and prospects of ZF-11

1. Automobile industry

In the automotive industry, polyurethane materials are widely used in interior components such as seats, instrument panels, roof pads, etc. However, due to the relatively closed interior space, the odor problem in traditional polyurethane products is particularly prominent. According to statistics, more than 70% of consumers feel uncomfortable because of the odor in the car when buying a new car. Therefore, polyurethane foam produced with the low-odor catalyst ZF-11 has become the preferred solution for major automakers.

Taking a well-known car brand as an example, they have fully introduced a polyurethane seat system based on the ZF-11 in the new model. The test results show that the odor score of the new seat dropped from the original 4 points (the full score is 5 points, the higher the score, the heavier the odor), which received unanimous praise from users. Not only that, these seats also show better comfort and durability, injecting new vitality into the brand’s market competitiveness.

2. Furniture and home decoration industry

The furniture and home improvement sector is another industry with a huge demand for polyurethane catalysts. Whether it is a sofa cushion, mattress or carpet backing, polyurethane foam is an indispensable part. However, the formaldehyde exceeding the standard and odor problems in traditional products are discouraging consumers.

The emergence of ZF-11 has completely changed this situation. After switching to ZF-11, an internationally renowned home brand successfully launched the “Zero Odor” series of mattress products. This series of products not only has passed many international certifications, but also achieved amazing sales results in the market. According to the company’s financial report, since the launch of the new product, sales have increased by nearly 40% year-on-year, and customer satisfaction has increased by 5 percentage points.

III. Building insulation field

As the global energy crisis intensifies, building energy conservation has become one of the key issues that governments pay attention to. As an efficient thermal insulation material, the application of polyurethane rigid foam in the field of building insulation is increasing year by year. However, the harmful gases and pungent odors that traditional foam products may produce during construction have always been an important factor hindering their popularity.

The low odor characteristics and excellent catalytic properties of ZF-11 make it a buildingIdeal for insulation. Practice has proved that polyurethane foam produced using ZF-11 is not only easy to install, but also will not have adverse effects on construction workers and surrounding residents. In addition, its good thermal insulation effect can also help buildings significantly reduce energy consumption, truly achieving a win-win situation between economic and social benefits.

Technical parameters and usage suggestions

In order to better guide users to use ZF-11 catalyst correctly, the following are its detailed technical parameters and recommended dosages:

parameter name	parameter value	Unit
Appearance	Light yellow transparent liquid	–
Density	1.02	g/cm³
Viscosity (25℃)	50	mPa·s
Active ingredient content	≥99%	%
Steam pressure (20℃)	<0.1	kPa
Recommended dosage	0.5-1.5	phr

Note: PHR refers to the number of parts of the catalyst contained in each hundred parts of the polyol.

In actual operation, it is recommended that users adjust the amount of ZF-11 added according to the specific formula system and process conditions. Generally speaking, when the reaction speed needs to be accelerated, the dosage can be appropriately increased; and for occasions where slow reaction is required, the dosage should be reduced. In addition, to ensure optimal results, direct exposure of ZF-11 to the air should be avoided to avoid unnecessary side reactions.

Progress in domestic and foreign research and future prospects

In recent years, research on low-odor polyurethane catalysts has become a hot topic in the academic and industrial circles. Some top foreign scientific research institutions such as the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany and the Dow Chemical in the United States have invested a lot of resources to develop similar products and technologies. In contrast, relevant domestic research started a little later, but developed rapidly. A group of scientific research teams represented by the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences have made breakthrough progress in the molecular design and synthesis process of catalysts.

Looking forward, with the continuous integration of emerging fields such as nanotechnology and smart materials, low-odor foamed polyurethane catalysts are expected to usher in broader development space. For example, by introducing functional nanoparticles, the catalyst can have additional functions such as self-healing and antibacteriality, thereby further broadening its application scenarios. In addition, combining big data and artificial intelligence technology can also achieve accurate prediction and optimized design of catalyst performance, pushing the entire industry to move to a higher level.

Conclusion

To sum up, the low-odor foamed polyurethane catalyst ZF-11 will undoubtedly become the first choice under the demand for high-standard polyurethane in the future with its excellent performance and innovative design. It not only solves the odor problem existing in traditional catalysts, but also takes into account the dual goals of efficient catalysis and green environmental protection, injecting new vitality into the polyurethane industry. As a proverb says, “A good tool can achieve twice the result with half the effort.” The ZF-11 is such a “good tool” that can make polyurethane production easier and more environmentally friendly. Let us look forward to it together that with its support, the polyurethane industry will usher in a more brilliant tomorrow!

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