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Blowing agents  listing according to groups
Below is a listing of gases, low boiling liquids, some of the can be and are use as blowing agents for polyurethane foams, others are used a cleaning fluids or etching agents in electronic applications.

Polyurethane foams are being prepared by using a blowing agent during the preparation of the polyurethane polymer. The blowing agent has to be a gas at the reaction temperature. As blowing agents carbon dioxide can be used which is generated by the reaction of the isocyanate with water or by using a gas or a liquid dissolved in the polyol/isocyanate. The exothermic reaction of the isocyanate-hydroxyl reaction can create enough heat to evaporate a low boiling liquid blowing agent. The requirement for a good blowing agent are a low boiling point, solubility in the polyol and low molecular weight. Because of diffusion of the blowing agent from a foam, in the US the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established regulations controlling the type of blowing agent which can be used in a foam. The concern about blowing agent is two fold. Some of the fluorocarbon blowing agents are green house gases and their use as blowing agents has been prohibited. Other low boiling solvents can be photochemical reactive and are considered VOC's under EPA regulations. A list of currently recommended blowing agents acceptable under the air pollution regulations can be found at the EPA web site and at environmental agencies of other countries.

A listing of suppliers of blowing agents and their composition and a listing of ozone depleting chemicals can be found at this a this Air Force web site.
For insulating applications of foams the thermal conductivity of the blowing agent is of importance.
Note: This table lists all the blowing agent without regard of their regulatory status. Listing on this table does not endorse the commercial use in any particular application.
Table arranged according to atomic or molecular weight of compound or mixture of gases.

Chemical Name

Chemical

CAS#

MW

 ASHRAE 

Boiling Point
 

Formula

     Name

°C

Air

 80% N2+20% O2

28.8

Fluoromethane

CH3F

593-53-3

34.0

HFC 41

-78.4

Argon

Ar

7440-37-1

39.9

Carbon dioxide

CO2

124-38-9

44.0

  

Fluoroethane

C2H5F

353-36-6

48.1

HFC 161

Difluoromethane

CH2F2

75-10-5

52.0

HFC 32

-52

Acetone

C3H6O

67-64-1

58.1

56
Butane

C4H10

 106-97-8

58.1

  

-0.5

Isobutane

C4H10

75-28-5

58.1

-12

1,2-Difluoroethylene

C2H2F2

1691-13-0

64.0

HFC 1132

-28

1,1-Difluoroethylene

C2H2F2

75-38-7

64.0

HFC 1132a

-83

1,2-Difluoroethane

C2H4F2

624-72-6

66.1

HFC 152

30.7

1,1-Difluoroethane

C2H4F2

75-37-6

66.1

HFC 152a

-25

Trifluoromethane

CHF3

75-46-7

70.0

HFC 23

-84

Cyclopentane

C5H10

287-92-3

70.1

 

50

Pentane

C5H12

109-66-0

72.2

36

Isopentane

C5H12

78-78-4

72.2

27

1-Chloro-1-fluoroethylene

C2H2ClF

2317-91-1

80.5

HCFC 1131a

Trifluoroethylene

C2HF3

359-11-5

82.0

HFC 1123

1-Chloro-1-fluoroethane

C2H4ClF

1615-75-4

82.5

HCFC 151a

Krypton

Kr

7439-90-9

83.8

1,1,1-Trifluoroethane

C2H3F3

420-46-2

84.0

HCFC 143a

-27

1,1,2-Trifluoroethane

C2H3F3

430-66-0

84.0

HFC 143

Methane, dichloro-

CH2Cl2

75-09-2

84.9

40

Chlorodifluoromethane

CHClF2

75-45-6

86.5

HCFC 22

-41

1,1,1-Trifluoropropane

C3H5F3

421-07-8

98.1

HFC 263fb

1,1,2,2-Tetrafluoroethane

C2H2F4

359-35-3

102.0

HFC 134

1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane

C2H2F4

811-97-2

102.0

HFC 134a

-27

Chlorotrifluoromethane

CClF3

75-72-9

104.5

R 13

-80

1-Chloro-1,1-difluoroethane

C2H3ClF2

75-68-3

112.5

HCFC 142b

-10
1-Chloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethylene C2ClF3 79-38-9

116.5

 CFC-1113

-26.2

1,1-Dichloro-1-fluoro-ethane

C2H3Cl2F

1717-00-6

117.0

HCFC 141b

32

1,2-Dichloro-1-fluoroethane

C2H3Cl2F

430-57-9

117.0

HCFC 141

76

1,1,2-Trifluoro-2-chloroethane

C2H2ClF3

431-07-2

118.5

HCFC 133

Pentafluoroethane

C2HF5

354-33-6

120.0

HCFC 125

Dichlorodifluoromethane

CCl2F2

75-71-8

120.9

R 12

-30
Xenon Xe 7440-63-3

131.3

-108.1

1,1,3,3,3-Pentafluoropropene

C3HF5

690-27-7

132.0

HFC 1225zc

Trichloroethane

C2H3Cl3

71-55-6

133.4

 

75

1,1,1,3,3,-Pentafluoropropane

C3H3F5

460-73-1

134.1

HCFC-245fa

15

1,1,2,2,3,-Pentafluoropropane

C3H3F5

 

134.1

HFC-245ca

25

1,1,1,2,3,-Pentafluoropropane

C3H3F5

134.1

HFC-245eb

23
2-Chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoro-ethane C2HClF4 2837-89-0

136.5

 HCFC 124

-12

1-Chloro-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro-ethane

C2HClF4

354-25-6

136.5

HCFC 124a

Trichlorofluoromethane

CCl3F

75-69-4

137.4

CFC-11

24

1,1,1,3,3-Pentafluorobutane

C4H5F5

406-58-6

148.1

HFC-365mfc

40

Difluoromethyl 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl ether

C3H3F5O

1885-48-9

150.1

HFC-E 245

29

1-(Difluoromethoxy)-1,2,2-trifluoroethane

C3H3F5O

60113-74-8

150.1

HFC245caEab

1,1,2-Trichloro-2-fluoroethane

C2H2Cl3F

359-28-4

151.4

HCFC 131

1,1,2-Trichloro-1-fluoro-ethane

C2H2Cl3F

811-95-0

151.4

HCFC 131a

1,1,1,2,3,3-Hexafluoropropane

C3H2F6

431-63-0

152.0

HFC 236ea

 6.5

1,1,1,3,3,3-Hexafluoropropane

C3H2F6

690-39-1

152.0

HCFC 236fa

2,2-Dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane

C2HCl2F3

306-83-2

152.9

HCFC 123

29

1,1-Dichloro-1,2,2-trifluoro-ethane

C2HCl2F3

812-04-4

152.9

HCFC 123b

Tetrachloromethane

CCl4

56-23-5

153.8

CH 11
1,2,2,2-Tetrafluoroethyl fluoromethyl ether CHF2OCHFCF3 168.04 HFE-236

23.3
1,1,1,3,3-Pentafluoro-3-chloropropane C3H2ClF5 460-92-4 168.5 HCFC 235fa

1,1,1,2,3,3,3-Heptafluoropropane

C3HF7

431-89-0

170.0

HFC 227
1,2-Dichloro-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro-ethane C2Cl2F4 76-14-2

170.9

 CFC-114

3.8

1,1-Dichloro-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-propane

C3H2Cl2F4

64712-27-2

185.0

HCFC 234fb

2-Chloro-1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane

C3HClF6

431-87-8

186.5

HCFC 226da
1,1,2-Trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoro, ethane C2Cl3F3 76-13-1 187.4 R-113

47.6

Octafluorocyclobutane

C4F8

115-25-3

188.0

HFC-C 318

Octafluoropropane

C3F8

76-19-7

188.0

HFC 218

1,1,1,3,3-Pentafluoro-2,3-dichloropropane

C3HCl2F5

431-86-7

202.9

HCFC 225da

1,1,2,2,3-Pentafluoro-1,3-dichloropropane

C3HCl2F5

507-55-1

202.9

HCFC 225cb

1,3-Dichloro-1,1,2,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane

C3Cl2F6

662-01-1

220.9

HCFC 216ca

1,1,3-Trichloro-1,2,2,3,3-pentafluoropropane

C3Cl3F5

1652-81-9

237.4

HCFC 215ca

Undecafluorocyclohexane

C6HF11

308-24-7

282.1

HFC-C 52-11

Properties of other gases 
Note: This list was compiled from web sites of supplies, MSDS's and government web sites. Under links you will also find the URL some of the web sites used and properties of blowing agents not shown here.

Last edited on:

 November 20, 2006

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