Paper waste sludge enhanced eco‐efficient polyurethane foam composites: Physical–mechanical properties and microstructure

Abstract

Increasing demands and consumption of humankind make an increase in paper production, extending the accumulation of paper production wastes. Due to legislations pertaining to environmental pollution, it has become necessary to search for new areas where these wastes could be used. Some of the processes such as milling, purification, etc. of fillers in the production of building materials are expensive and their cost reduction is desirable; therefore, the objective of this research is to develop strong and multifunctional rigid polyurethane foam composites from bio‐based polyol that are filled with unpurified and high distribution in size, having paper waste sludge (PWS) particles, and to investigate the possibility to recycle them as filler in polyurethane composites. The rational amount of PWS particles is 5% by foam mass. PWS particles improve thermal conductivity, water vapor resistance, density, compressive strength, and modulus of elasticity as compared to neat polyurethane foam matrix. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:1852–1860, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers

Effect of incorporation of lignin as bio-polyol on the performance of rigid lightweight wood–polyurethane composite foams

“…The lightweight wood-based panels are desirable for both economic and environmental reasons: lower costs in consequence of weight reduction and transportation, possibility of obtaining thick elements and ease of transportation and assembly [1,4]. Rigid polyurethane (PU) foams are highly crosslinked, three-dimensional porous materials with many desirable properties such as low density, low thermal conductivity, high strength-to-weight ratio and moisture resistance [5]. They are widely used in applications that include insulation, construction, decoration, and automotive parts [6,7].…”

The Impact of Hemp Shives Impregnated with Selected Plant Oils on Mechanical, Thermal, and Insulating Properties of Polyurethane Composite Foams

“…Interesting results were presented by Olszewski et al [ 3 ] in the case of PUR foams containing glass and sisal fibers—the flexural strength, impact strength, and hardness of materials have been improved by the addition of both kinds of fibers. The effect of waste sludge particles on the physical and mechanical properties of PUR foams was studied by Kairyte et al [ 10 ]. The authors reported that the addition of 20 wt.% of the fillers results in the production of the PUR materials with improved characteristics, while the higher content of the filler slightly deteriorates the properties of the foams.…”

Dimensionally Stable Water-Blown Polyurethane Foam Extended With Bio-Based Propylene Glycol and Modified With Paper Waste Sludge

“…It can be clearly seen that increasing amount of PWS increases the density of the obtained polyurethane foam composites. As it has been determined by the previous research of authors (Kairytė et al 2016), the bulk density of PWS particles is 480 kg/m 3 ; therefore, the increase in an apparent density at the amount of 20 wt.% of PWS is ~78% for 10-RPG composites, ~15% for 15-RPG composites and ~21% for 20-RPG composites comparing to the neat polyurethane foam. A typical effect of the addition of inorganic particles to the reaction mixture is an increase in viscosity.…”

“…1a), cellulose fibers, lignin and in some cases organic binder) and mineral loading ( Fig. 1b) consisting of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), kaolinite, talc, dolomite (Kairytė et al 2016), however, chemical composition and physical properties vary depending on the quality of the paper, technology of waste water cleaning and fresh water usage specifics (Zule et al 2007).…”

“…It is previously determined (Kairytė et al 2016) that the size of PWS particles varies from 0.4 μm to 629 μm. Additionally to the results of quantitative chemical analysis made by X-ray fluorescence in Table 3, there are (21.1 -24.3)% of organic matter, i.e.…”