Development of High-Performance Coconut Oil-Based Rigid Polyurethane-Urea Foam: A Novel Sequential Amidation and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Sustainable Materials

Background:

• Petroleum-based polyols limit fully biobased rigid polyurethane-urea foam (RPUAF) due to coconut diethanolamide (p-CDEA) limitations.
• Short chain and poor cross-linking of p-CDEA compromise RPUAF cell structure, mechanical strength, and thermal insulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, functional polyol from coconut oil for high-performance, fully biobased RPUAF.
• To enhance the properties of RPUAF by addressing the limitations of p-CDEA.

Main Methods:

• A sequential amidation-prepolymerization route was used on coconut oil to create a hydroxyl-terminated poly(urethane-urea) prepolymer polyol (COPUAP).
• Characterization of COPUAP involved measuring hydroxyl value, amine value, and viscosity.
• COPUAP was used as the sole B-side polyol in RPUAF production (PU-COPUAP).

Main Results:

• COPUAP demonstrated increased functionality and chain lengthening compared to p-CDEA.
• PU-COPUAP exhibited a 4.7-fold increase in compressive strength and a 3.5-fold increase in flexural strength.
• Thermal conductivity decreased significantly, and water contact angle increased by 16.5%, indicating improved insulation and hydrophobicity.

Conclusions:

• The novel COPUAP polyol significantly enhances RPUAF properties, including mechanical strength, thermal insulation, and hydrophobicity.
• This approach offers a promising pathway for high-performance, fully biobased rigid foams.
• The improved properties position PU-COPUAP as a sustainable alternative in foam applications.