Developing polyols derived from natural sources and recycling materials attracts great interest for use in replacing petroleum-based polyols in polyurethane production. In this study, rigid polyurethane (PUR) foams with various isocyanate indices were obtained from polyols based on rapeseed oil and polyethylene terephthalate (RO/PET). The various properties of the prepared PUR foams were investigated, and the effect of the isocyanate index was evaluated. The closed-cell content and water absorption were not impacted by the change of the isocyanate index. The most significant effect of increasing the isocyanate index was on the dimensional stability of the resulting foams. This is due to the increased crosslink density, as evidenced by the increased formation of isocyanurate and increase of the glass transition temperature. Additionally, the influence on compression strength, modulus, and long-term thermal conductivity were evaluated and compared with reference PUR foams from commercially available polyols. Rigid PUR foams from RO/PET polyol were found to be competitive with reference materials and could be used as thermal insulation material.

Amide and ester type polyols were synthesized from different kinds of tall oil and two types of ethanolamine (diethanolamine and triethanolamine). Poly(urethane amides) and polyester urethanes based on the synthesized polyols were prepared. The influence of the chemical structure of the obtained polyurethanes on density, glass transition temperature, thermal stability, mechanical properties and adhesive strength was investigated. The effect of the content of rosin acids in original tall oil on the specified characteristics was estimated. It has been found that poly(urethane amides) have higher mechanical characteristics, but their thermal stability is lower than that of polyester urethanes. The chemical structure of the synthesized polyols and polyurethanes is qualitatively confirmed by IR-spectroscopy data.

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Polyisocyanurate foams have been developed using a polyol system partially derived from rapeseed oil (RO). The effect of nanofillers with iso-dimensional geometry (zinc oxide), nanofibers (carbon nanotubes), and nanoplatelets (organically modified montmorillonite) on stiffness and strength of the foams has been studied. It was demonstrated that the tensile properties of the filled foams are enhanced by roughly the same proportion as the stiffness and strength of monolithic filled polymers.

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The efficiency of using intumescent flame retardants in polyurethane coatings based on tall oil fatty acids esters was assessed. The influence of the content of each of the flame retardants (ammonium polyphosphate, melamine and pentaerythriol) separately on the flammability parameters of wood samples with polyurethane coatings in a cone calorimeter test, as well as on the thermal and mechanical properties of the polyurethane itself, was investigated. The effect of the ratios of double and triple combinations of the mentioned flame retardants on the specified properties was studied. It has been found that, for the given type of polyester urethane, ammonium polyphosphate decreases the flammability of polyurethane most. Melamine, and melamine in combination with ammonium polyphosphate decrease the smoke release upon polyurethane combustion.