Flexible Polyurethane Foams from Bio-Based Polyols: Prepolymer Synthesis and Characterization.

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Petroleum-based polyurethanes face environmental concerns.
• Bio-polyols (BPOs) offer a sustainable alternative derived from renewable resources.
• Developing high-performance BPOs is crucial for their widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize novel bio-polyols (BPOs) from epoxidized plant oils and carboxylic acids.
• To produce polyurethane (PU) foams using these BPOs via a quasi-prepolymer method.
• To evaluate the structural and mechanical properties of the synthesized PU foams.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of BPOs from epoxidized soybean/linseed oils and caprylic/3-phenyl butyric acid.
• Production of PU foams using a two-step quasi-prepolymer method with toluene diisocyanate.
• Characterization of prepolymers by SEC and solution NMR.
• Analysis of foam density, cell structure, Young's modulus, and compression deflection.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized BPOs with specific hydroxyl numbers, narrow polydispersity, and low molecular mass.
• Produced open-cell PU foams with uniform structure and densities between 40-90 kg/m³.
• Foams derived from aromatic acid showed higher density.
• Demonstrated superior mechanical properties (Young's moduli, compression deflection) compared to reference foams.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized BPOs are effective building blocks for high-performance PU foams.
• These novel polyurethanes show significant potential to replace petroleum-based materials.
• This research contributes to the development of sustainable and advanced polymer materials.