Polycarbonate and polyurethane scraps from end-oflife vehicles were converted into liquid recycled polyols with hydroxyl number around 300 mgKOH•g −1 by using medium chain glycerides of coconut oil. The obtained polyols were used for preparation of low-density rigid polyurethane foams. It was found that up to 50 wt % of the virgin petrochemical polyol can be replaced by the recycled polyols without any negative effect on the foaming process. The obtained foams exhibited the apparent density of 40−44 kg•m −3 , the homogeneous cellular structure with a high content of closed cells (>91 vol %) and the beneficially low value of lambda coefficient (∼23 mW•m −1 •K −1 ). The exceptionally high compressive strength (>350 kPa in parallel to foam rise direction) of the rigid PUR foams with 50 wt % of recycled polyol derived from polycarbonate scrap resulted probably from the unique structure of recycled polyol combining rigid aromatic segments together with flexible coconut oil glyceride units. In conclusion, this approach utilizing the renewable coconut oil-derived reagent provides a sustainable recycling solution for two major plastics from automotive waste.
High-quality rigid polyurethane (PU) foam thermal insulation material has been developed solely using bio-polyols synthesized from second-generation bio-based feedstock. High functionality bio-polyols were synthesized from cellulose production side stream—tall oil fatty acids by oxirane ring-opening as well as esterification reactions with different polyfunctional alcohols, such as diethylene glycol, trimethylolpropane, triethanolamine, and diethanolamine. Four different high functionality bio-polyols were combined with bio-polyol obtained from tall oil esterification with triethanolamine to develop rigid PU foam formulations applicable as thermal insulation material. The developed formulations were optimized using response surface modeling to find optimal bio-polyol and physical blowing agent: c-pentane content. The optimized bio-based rigid PU foam formulations delivered comparable thermal insulation properties to the petro-chemical alternative.
This work reports on the thermal stability and flammability of a novel class of rigid polyurethane foams chemically modified by functionalized 1,2-propanediolisobutyl POSS (PHI-POSS) as a pendant group and octa (3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyldimethylsiloxy) POSS (OCTA-POSS) as a chemical cross-link. The foamed hybrid materials were prepared in a three-step process using a sorbitol-based polyether polyol, polymeric 4,4 0 -diphenylmethane diisocyanate and dimethyl propane phosphonate as a flame retardant. The addition of the POSS modifier influences the PU cellular structure as evidenced by a change in anisotropy index of the cross section parallel to the growth direction. Based on thermogravimetric data and flammability results, one can suggest that there is char formation at the surface and the formed layer acts as an insulating barrier limiting heat and mass transfer with flame retardant and thus leading to decreased heat release rate, especially for systems containing OCTA-POSS.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.