Biodegradable Polyurethane Foams Based on Polyols Obtained from Cellulose and Its Hydroxypropyl Derivative

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Development of sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based polyols for polyurethane production is crucial.
• Cellulose, an abundant biopolymer, offers a renewable feedstock for polyol synthesis.
• Existing methods for cellulose modification present challenges in scalability and product purity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize cellulose-derived polyols using novel hydroxyalkylation methods.
• To characterize the synthesized polyols and their physical properties.
• To produce and evaluate rigid polyurethane foams (PUFs) derived from these novel polyols.

Main Methods:

• Hydroxyalkylation of cellulose and (hydroxypropyl)cellulose with glycidol and ethylene carbonate in triethylene glycol or water.
• Characterization of polyols using Infrared (IR), ¹H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight (MALDI ToF) mass spectrometry.
• Synthesis of rigid polyurethane foams (PUFs) and assessment of their physical properties, thermal resistance, compressive strength, and biodegradation.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of cellulose-derived polyols confirmed by spectroscopic analysis, showing characteristic ether group bands.
• Synthesized polyols were used to create rigid PUFs with comparable density, water uptake, and shrinkage to conventional PUFs.
• The novel PUFs demonstrated superior thermal resistance and improved compressive strength after thermal exposure, alongside significant biodegradability (over 50% in one month).

Conclusions:

• Cellulose-derived polyols can be effectively synthesized via hydroxyalkylation for rigid PUF production.
• These bio-based PUFs offer enhanced thermal performance and mechanical properties compared to traditional PUFs.
• The developed materials show promising biodegradability, contributing to more sustainable polymer solutions.