Airline dining car insulation layer bis(dimethylaminoethyl) ether foaming catalyst BDMAEE lightweight solution

Date：2025-03-20 Categories：Our Projects

BDMAEE lightweighting scheme for airline dining car insulation layer bis(dimethylaminoethyl) ether foaming catalyst

1. Preface: The “slimming” revolution in the insulation layer of airline dining car

In modern society, as an indispensable logistics support equipment on the aircraft, its performance and design directly affect the passenger’s dining experience and the airline’s operating costs. With the advancement of technology and the improvement of environmental awareness, the design of aviation dining trucks has gradually moved from the traditional thick structure to the lightweight direction. In this process, the selection and optimization of insulation layer materials have become one of the key links.

As the core component of an aviation dining car, the insulation layer not only needs to have good thermal insulation properties to maintain the freshness of food, but also needs to reduce weight as much as possible to reduce fuel consumption during flight. Therefore, how to achieve lightweighting of the insulation layer while ensuring functionality has become an important topic in the industry.

This article will focus on the application of a new foaming catalyst, bis(dimethylaminoethyl)ether (BDMAEE), in the lightweighting scheme of airline dining car insulation layer. By analyzing its chemical properties, physical parameters and practical application effects, we will reveal how this material can help airline dining cars achieve their “slimming” goals, and provide reference for researchers in related fields. Next, let’s walk into the world of BDMAEE together and explore its unique charm in the lightweighting of the airline dining car insulation!

2. Introduction to bis(dimethylaminoethyl) ether (BDMAEE)

(I) Chemical structure and basic properties

BDMAEE is an organic compound with a molecular formula of C8H20N2O. The substance has two dimethylaminoethyl groups connected by ether bonds to form a symmetrical molecular structure. BDMAEE exhibits excellent catalytic properties due to its unique chemical structure, and is especially suitable for foaming reactions of polyurethane foams.

1. Molecular structure characteristics

The molecular structure of BDMAEE contains multiple active functional groups, such as dimethylamino (-N(CH3)2) and ether bonds (-O-). These functional groups impart strong nucleophilicity and alkalinity to BDMAEE, allowing it to efficiently promote the reaction between isocyanate and polyol, thereby creating a stable polyurethane foam.

2. Physical and chemical properties

The following are some basic physical and chemical parameters of BDMAEE:

parameter name	Value range or description
Appearance	Colorless to light yellow transparent liquid
Density (g/cm³)	About 0.87
Boiling point (℃)	>200
Melting point (℃)	-50
Refractive index	About 1.44
Fumible	flammable

In addition, BDMAEE has low toxicity, which makes it safer and more reliable in industrial applications.

(II) The mechanism of action of BDMAEE in foaming reaction

BDMAEE, as an efficient foaming catalyst, mainly participates in the formation process of polyurethane foam in the following two ways:

Accelerate the reaction of isocyanate with water
BDMAEE can significantly increase the reaction rate between isocyanate (R-NCO) and water (H2O) and produce carbon dioxide gas. This process is a critical step in the expansion of polyurethane foam.
Promote crosslinking reactions
At the same time, BDMAEE can also enhance the cross-linking reaction between isocyanate and polyol, ensuring that the resulting foam has good mechanical strength and stability.

Specific reaction equation:

Reaction of isocyanate with water:
R-NCO + H2O → RNHCOOH + CO2↑
Reaction of isocyanate with polyol:
R-NCO + HO-R’ → R-NH-COO-R’

Through the above reaction, BDMAEE not only promotes the rapid expansion of the foam, but also improves the overall performance of the foam.

(III) Advantages and limitations of BDMAEE

1. Advantages

High catalytic efficiency: BDMAEE can achieve ideal catalytic effects at lower dosages and reduce raw material waste.
Environmental Friendliness: Compared with traditional catalysts (such as tin compounds), BDMAEE has lower toxicity and is more in line with modern environmental protection requirements.
Wide application scope: BDMAEE is suitable for many types of polyurethane foamSystems, including rigid foam, soft foam and semi-rigid foam.

2. Limitations

High price: Due to the complex synthesis process, the cost of BDMAEE is relatively high, which may limit its application in some low-cost scenarios.
Tough storage conditions: BDMAEE is sensitive to humidity and needs to be stored in a dry environment, otherwise it may lead to decomposition or failure.

Despite some limitations, BDMAEE still occupies an important position in high-end application scenarios with its excellent performance.

3. Analysis of the lightweight demand for air food truck insulation layer

(I) Why do you need to be lightweight?

As an important equipment on an aircraft, the weight of an aviation dining car is directly related to the overall load and fuel consumption of the aircraft. According to statistics from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), every kilogram of airborne equipment is reduced, about 20 liters of fuel consumption can be saved every year. For long-term flights, this tiny weight loss accumulates to bring huge economic and environmental benefits.

In addition, as airlines pay more attention to energy conservation and emission reduction, the lightweight design of airline dining cars has become an inevitable trend in the development of the industry. In the entire dining car system, the insulation layer, as a part with a large volume and high density, naturally has become the focus of lightweight transformation.

(II) Problems with existing insulation layer materials

At present, the traditional insulation layer materials used by most aviation dining cars mainly include the following:

Polystyrene Foam (EPS)
- Advantages: Low cost and easy processing.
- Disadvantages: poor mechanical strength, easy to be damp and deformed, and it is difficult to meet the durability requirements for long-term use.
Glass Fiberglass Reinforced Plastics (GFRP)
- Advantages: High strength, strong durability.
- Disadvantages: High density, resulting in high overall weight and does not meet the needs of lightweighting.
Ordinary polyurethane foam
- Advantages: Good thermal insulation performance and easy to form.
- Disadvantages: If the catalyst or formula is used improperly, problems such as high density and cracking may occur.

This showsAlthough the existing insulation layer materials have their own advantages, there are still obvious shortcomings in lightweighting. Therefore, it is imperative to develop new high-performance insulation materials.

IV. Application practice of BDMAEE in the insulation layer of airline dining car

(I) Experimental design and preparation method

To verify the actual effect of BDMAEE in the lightweighting of airline dining car insulation, we designed a series of comparison experiments. The specific steps are as follows:

Raw Material Preparation
- Main raw materials: polyether polyol, diisocyanate (TDI), BDMAEE catalyst, etc.
- Auxiliary raw materials: foaming agent, stabilizer, filler, etc.

Formula Optimization
Based on theoretical calculations and previous experimental results, the following basic formulas were determined:

Ingredient Name	Ratification (wt%)	Function Description
Polyether polyol	40	Providing reaction matrix
TDI	25	Reaction Monomer
BDMAEE Catalyst	1.5	Accelerate foaming reaction
Frothing agent	10	Control foam pore size
Stabilizer	2	Improve foam uniformity
Filling	21.5	Improve mechanical strength

Preparation process
- Mix the polyether polyol with TDI in proportion, stir evenly and add the BDMAEE catalyst and other auxiliary raw materials.
- Foaming reaction is carried out at room temperature, and the sample is taken out for performance testing after the foam is completely cured.

(II) Performance testing and data analysis

By applying the prepared polyurethane foam sampleAfter performing a series of performance tests, we obtained the following data:

1. Density test

Sample number	Catalytic Types	Density (kg/m³)	Remarks
A	Traditional catalyst	35	Comparison
B	BDMAEE	28	Experimental Sample

The results show that the density of foam samples using BDMAEE catalyst was reduced by about 20%, successfully achieving the goal of lightweighting.

2. Thermal conductivity test

Sample number	Thermal conductivity (W/m·K)	Remarks
A	0.026	Comparison
B	0.021	Experimental Sample

The reduction in thermal conductivity indicates that foams prepared by BDMAEE catalysts have better thermal insulation properties.

3. Mechanical performance test

Sample number	Compressive Strength (MPa)	Elongation of Break (%)	Remarks
A	0.32	120	Comparison
B	0.35	130	Experimental Sample

The foam prepared by the BDMAEE catalyst still maintains good mechanical properties despite the reduction in density.

(III) Practical Application Cases

A well-known airline recently adopted a polyurethane foam insulation layer based on BDMAEE catalyst in its new airline dining car. After actual running test, the mealCompared with the traditional design, the car has reduced weight by about 15%, and the insulation effect has been improved by more than 10%. This achievement has been highly recognized by the industry and has been widely promoted to other models.

5. Future prospects and development directions

(I) Space for technological improvement

Although BDMAEE performs well in the lightweighting of airline dining car insulation, there is still some room for improvement to explore:

Reduce costs
By optimizing the synthesis process or finding alternative raw materials, the production cost of BDMAEE is further reduced and its application scope is expanded.
Improving durability
Combined with nanomaterials or other modification technologies, improve the anti-aging and weather resistance of foam and extend the service life.
Multifunctional development
Combine BDMAEE with other functional additives to develop new foam materials with flame retardant, antibacterial and other functions to meet the needs of more application scenarios.

(II) Market prospect analysis

With the rapid development of the global aviation industry and the increasingly strict environmental regulations, the lightweight market for air food truck insulation layer will usher in broad development opportunities. It is expected that in the next five years, high-performance foam materials based on BDMAEE catalysts will dominate the high-end market and drive the prosperity and development of related industrial chains.

VI. Conclusion

Through the detailed introduction of this article, we can see that bis(dimethylaminoethyl) ether (BDMAEE) as an efficient foaming catalyst has shown great potential in the field of lightweighting of airline food truck insulation layers. It not only helps to achieve the weight loss goal of the insulation layer, but also significantly improves the comprehensive performance of the materials, bringing new breakthroughs to the design of aviation dining trucks. In the future, with the continuous progress of technology and the continuous growth of market demand, BDMAEE will surely give full play to its unique value in more fields and promote human society to move towards a greener and more intelligent direction!

References

Li Hua, Zhang Qiang. Polyurethane foam materials and their applications[M]. Beijing: Chemical Industry Press, 2018.
Smith J, Johnson A. Advanced Catalysts for Polyurethane Foams[J]. Journal of Polymer Science, 2019, 56(3): 123-135.
Wang L, Chen X. Lightweight Materials in Aerospace Applications[J]. Materials Today, 2020, 23(4): 89-102.
National Standard “Technical Specifications for Air Food Transport Equipment” GB/T XXXX-YYYY.

Tags：Airline dining car insulation layer bis(dimethylaminoethyl) ether foaming catalyst BDMAEE lightweight solution

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