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Polyurethane Composites Recycling with Styrene-Acrylonitrile and Calcium Carbonate Recovery
Jesús Del Amo1, Subramaniam Iswar2, Thomas Vanbergen3
1Chemical Engineering Department, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Institute of Chemical and Environmental Technology, ITQUIMA, Avda. Camilo José Cela s/n, 13004 Ciudad Real, Spain.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 27, 2024
Summary
This study details a glycolysis process for recycling flexible polyurethane foams, recovering high-purity polyols and fillers. Recovered materials can be reused in new foam synthesis, promoting circular economy principles in polymer recycling.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- Flexible polyurethane foams (FPFs) present recycling challenges.
- Valorization of waste FPFs is crucial for sustainable materials management.
- Incorporation of fillers like styrene-acrylonitrile and calcium carbonate complicates recycling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the glycolysis of FPFs containing styrene-acrylonitrile and calcium carbonate.
- To recover and characterize high-purity polyols and fillers from waste FPFs.
- To evaluate the feasibility of reusing recovered materials in the synthesis of new FPFs.
Main Methods:
- Glycolysis of FPFs using DABCO catalyst at reduced concentration (0.1%) and polyurethane-to-glycol ratio (1:1).
- Purification of recovered polyol to 99% purity.
- Characterization of recovered styrene-acrylonitrile and calcium carbonate fillers.
- Synthesis of new FPFs using recovered polyols and fillers, with optimized isocyanate mixtures (TDI80:TDI65 ratio of 30:70).
Main Results:
- Achieved 99% purity polyol recovery, suitable for direct reuse.
- Recovered fillers (styrene-acrylonitrile, calcium carbonate) exhibited properties comparable to commercial grades.
- New FPFs synthesized with recovered materials maintained standard mechanical properties.
- Optimized isocyanate mixture corrected cell structure issues from polyol impurities.
Conclusions:
- The glycolysis process effectively recycles FPFs, yielding high-purity polyols and reusable fillers.
- Recovered polyols and fillers can be successfully reintegrated into new FPF production.
- This method offers a sustainable route for FPF waste management and resource recovery.
