Synthesis and characterization of polyurethane rigid foam by using feedstocks received from renewable and recyclable resources

Abstract

The mimicry reactions used in the industrial field based on pure materials to obtain products is very important in order to achieve a circular economy and a green environment. This time around, the idea is that all raw materials are wastes. In addition to synthesizing biodiesel, this study aims to synthesize polyurethane rigid foams from recyclable materials such as liquid wastes and solid plastic wastes. The study follows preparation of a new class of biopolyols by reacting a mixture of crude glycerin-based polyol and epoxidized used cooking oil with polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, and bisphenol-polycarbonate wastes. Then, fabrication of polyurethane rigid foams by blending synthesized biopolyols with commercial polyol at ratios 20%, 40%, and 60% occurs. The properties of biopolyols and fabricated rigid foams was investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectrometer, thermal gravimetric analyzer, scanning electron microscope, and dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer. The results show that the biopolyols are valuable products for polyurethane manufactures. Moreover, the fabricated rigid foams show nonsignificant changes at the commercial and industrial level.

Preparation and Characterization of Polyurethane Rigid Foam Nanocomposites from Used Cooking Oil and Perlite

“…The recent increase in the number of publications and patents underlines the enormous potential that UCO (when recycling) goes beyond its use only in the production of biofuels, as it can be used as value-added green chemicals such as surfactants [11,12], binders for building blocks [13], plasticizers [14,15], lubricants [16], and biopolymers [17]. Environmentally being polyols, which naming as biopolymers, can be obtained from either transesterification of oils or ring-opening of epoxidized oils processes by using a wide range of reactive materials such as alcohols in wide ranges of hydroxyl numbers as well functionalities and viscosities [18]. For instance, the hydroxyl number and viscosity of the biopolyol obtained from the ring-opening reaction of epoxidized rapeseed oil with 1,6-hexanediol were (250 mg KOH/ g, 5128 mPa s) more than twice as high as that of the biopolyol obtained with 1-hexanol (104 mg KOH/g, 643 mPa s) [19], whereas those produced from the transesterification of rapeseed oil with diethanolamine (DEA), triethanolamine, and glycerol were higher than (1000 mg KOH/g) the formers [20].…”