XH‑1625 Rigid‑Foam Silicone Surfactant for Household Refrigerator Applications

Rigid‑foam silicone surfactant is a polyether‑modified Si‑C bond silicone surfactant. As a core additive for polyurethane rigid‑foam formulations for refrigerator cabinet and door foaming with cyclopentane (CP), CP/245fa and HFO blended blowing agents, it is also known as foam stabilizer. It directly determines the cell structure, thermal conductivity, production yield and energy‑efficiency performance of refrigerator insulation layers.

Core Functions for Refrigerator Foaming Systems

1. Emulsification & Compatibility Polyols, isocyanates and cyclopentane blowing agents feature large polarity differences. Acting as an emulsifier, XH‑1625 evenly disperses hydrocarbon blowing agents within polyol systems to avoid phase separation and guarantee stable mixing, which is fundamental for cyclopentane‑based formulations.
2. Nucleation and Cell Regulation It lowers system surface tension to generate abundant micro‑bubbles. It delivers fine, uniform cells with high closed‑cell ratio and minimizes large pores and pinholes. Finer foam cells bring lower thermal conductivity for better thermal insulation and lower power consumption of refrigerators.
3. Foam Stabilization against Cell Coalescence and Collapse During foam rising, it forms an elastic film at the gas‑liquid interface to prevent bubble merging and rupture. This avoids voids, insufficient filling and foam collapse inside refrigerator cabinets.
4. Improved Fluidity and Reduced Density Gradient Refrigerator cabinets contain complex narrow cavities between inner liners and outer shells. XH‑1625 enhances flowability of mixed foaming material for full filling of corners and edges. It mitigates density deviation across foam sections, ensures consistent thermal insulation throughout the cabinet, reduces local shrinkage and surface defects such as peeling and pits, and lifts production yield.
5. Dimensional Stability It suppresses post‑curing low‑temperature shrinkage of foam. The foam remains non‑shrinking and crack‑free under long‑term temperature cycling (‑20 ℃ inside refrigerator vs 25‑40 ℃ ambient temperature), preventing deformation of plastic inner liners.

Recommended dosage: 2‑3 phr (per 100 parts polyol). Around 3.0 phr is typical for cyclopentane systems. Excess or insufficient dosage will impair cell structure and thermal conductivity.

Refrigerator‑Grade Silicone Surfactant: XH‑1625

XH‑1625 is a well‑established rigid‑foam surfactant dedicated to home appliance foaming. Compatible with CP, CP/HFC‑245fa and CP/HCFO blowing agent blends, it improves surface quality of cabinet foam and is engineered for low thermal conductivity and fewer surface defects.

Direct Impacts on Refrigerator Performance

1. Thermal Conductivity (K‑value, core metric for energy efficiency) Silicone surfactant shapes cell structure and dominates thermal insulation performance. High‑end refrigerator foam can achieve K‑value ≤19 mW/(m·K). With identical insulation thickness, it cuts overall power consumption and meets top‑tier national energy‑efficiency standards.
2. Broad processing window Refrigerator high‑pressure injection foaming demands high tolerance toward fluctuations in material temperature, mold temperature and injection flow rate. High‑performance silicone stabilizers deliver wide processing latitude, stable mass production and lower scrap rates.
3. Mechanical performance of foam It maintains compressive strength of foam to support plastic inner liners and prevents bulging and deformation.

Formulation Compatibility Guidelines

1. Cyclopentane (CP) Systems: The mainstream solution for domestic refrigerators. Cyclopentane is a low‑polarity hydrocarbon blowing agent. Pentane compatibility is the top priority for surfactant selection. Poor compatibility causes phase separation, coarse cells and void defects. XH‑1625 is specially developed for cyclopentane‑based foaming.
2. CP+HFO / CP+245fa Blended Systems: Adopted for premium energy‑saving refrigerators. The surfactant shall balance emulsification, low K‑value and minimal thermal conductivity ageing drift.

Industry Trends

Home appliance energy‑efficiency standards keep growing stricter. R&D priorities for silicone surfactants include lower K‑value, superior cyclopentane compatibility, reduced thermal conductivity ageing loss and low‑VOC profiles. Products also need to adapt to thin‑wall foaming requirements, which downsizes insulation thickness to expand refrigerator usable volume. Topwin Technology keeps developing next‑generation surfactants featuring lower thermal conductivity and enhanced flowability to satisfy stricter energy‑saving requirements and filling performance for large‑capacity refrigerators.