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Circular Reprocessing of Thermoset Polyurethane Foams.

Subeen Kim1, Kelvin Li1, Alaaeddin Alsbaiee2

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|August 7, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Recycling thermoset polyurethane (PU) foams is now possible through a novel refoaming process. This method allows for the creation of new PU foams from waste, maintaining their original properties and structure.

Keywords:
circular recyclingcovalent adaptable networksmelt reprocessingpolymerspolyurethane foamsporous materials

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Sustainable Manufacturing

Background:

  • Thermoset polyurethane (PU) foams are widely used but difficult to recycle due to their cross-linked structure.
  • Conventional recycling methods like melt reprocessing are not feasible for thermoset PU.
  • Previous attempts at PU recycling yielded solid films with limited commercial value.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a method for reprocessing and refoaming thermoset PU foams.
  • To enable the creation of new PU foam products from recycled materials.
  • To investigate the feasibility of a scalable PU foam recycling process.

Main Methods:

  • Thermoset PU foams were converted into covalent adaptable networks (CANs) using carbamate exchange catalysts.
  • A twin-screw extruder was used for simultaneous reprocessing and refoaming, incorporating gas generation for cell growth.
  • Chemical, thermal, and structural analyses were performed on the reprocessed PU foam extrudates.
  • Compression properties of recycled foam were compared to virgin foam.

Main Results:

  • A novel foam-to-foam extrusion process was successfully developed for thermoset PU.
  • The refoaming process yielded controllable, continuous, and uniform foam structures.
  • Low-density PU foams were produced, simulating injection molding.
  • Reprocessed PU foams retained microstructural and chemical integrity comparable to as-synthesized foams.

Conclusions:

  • Thermoset PU foams can be effectively recycled and refoamed using the developed twin-screw extrusion method.
  • This recycling strategy maintains the essential properties of PU foams.
  • The process shows promise for scalability and application to various PU foam compositions.