Biodegradation Study of Polyurethanes from Linseed and Passion Fruit Oils

Abstract

Bio-based polyurethanes (PU) have been developed as biodegradable and biocompatible, promising materials. In this work, PU foams with interesting properties and biodegradable characteristics were prepared from the polyols of linseed oil (LO) and passion fruit oil (PFO). The PUs reported herein were synthesized in 0.8 and 1.2 [NCO]/[OH] molar ratios, and were submitted to a soil degradation test, followed by analyses via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), stereomicroscope, thermogravimetry (TG/DTG), and Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results obtained indicate significant biodegradation activity. SEM micrographs of the PUs after soil the degradation test showed that the materials were susceptible to microbiological deterioration. TG/DTG curves showed that the PU samples were less thermally stable after the period of landfill than those freshly prepared. FTIR spectroscopy was used to identify chemical changes that occurred during biodegradation.

The Effects of Magnesium, Zinc and Calcium Ions on Endotoxin-Plasmid DNA Interaction at Various Cation Concentrations, pH Values and Incubation Times

“…The reason for this observation might be due to the chemical structure of the films. According to Lopes et al, (2022), as the ratio of NCO to OH increased, the polymer matrix tightened, resulting in the formation of crystalline regions, and eventually limiting the accessibility to microorganism attack. Furthermore, higher NCO/ OH may increase intermolecular interactions between hard-to-hard segments, such as hydrogen bonds, resulting in PU films with high rigidity.…”

“…Dutta et al (2010) discovered that after 180 days of biodegradation of film from Mesua ferrea L. seed oil, the intensity of bands for ester linkages decreased. Lopes et al (2022) concluded from FT-IR and SEM analysis that polyurethane made of linseed oil with NCO/OH ratios of 0.8 and 1.2 was susceptible to microbiological deterioration. Zhang et al (2013) discovered that after 12 months buried in soil, PU foam degraded to the wood components and ether soft segment via an oxidation reaction.…”

Microbial Enzyme Biotechnology to Reach Plastic Waste Circularity: Current Status, Problems and Perspectives

“…Moreover, attempts have been made to produce biofilms from the proteins of insects reared on organic waste to overcome the competition with the market of plant- and animal-derived food products [ 207 ]. It is important to report that lab-scale experiments are ongoing to synthesize more biodegradable thermoset materials, starting from mixing agriculturally derived oils with traditional precursors of polyester-type PURs [ 166 , 208 , 209 , 210 , 211 ]. The advantage of these biodegradable materials is that they can be assimilated as a carbon source by environmental organisms or at dedicated composting sites without releasing microparticles and without the need to develop a specific biotechnology in an industrial setup.…”