Biopolyolysis - a new biopathway for recycling waste polyurethane foams

Description

The research described in this article concerns eco-design of thermal insulation polyurethane biomaterials in accordance with the assumptions of the European Green Deal. Biofoams based on three different biopolyols derived from rapeseed oil were obtained. In the foams, 100% of the petrochemical polyol was replaced with a selected biopolyol. The biopolyols were obtained in the reactions of transesterification of rapeseed oil with triethanolamine, transesterification with diethylene glycol and in the reaction of epoxidation and oxirane ring opening with diethylene glycol. The material obtained from the petrochemical polyol was used as a reference foam. The foams were subjected to polyolysis using the biopolyol obtained in the reaction of transesterification of rapeseed oil with triethanolamine. Chemolysis of the same foams using diethylene glycol played the role of a comparative reaction. The obtained rebiopolyols were characterized by hydroxyl numbers comparable to those of the biopolyols and significantly lower than those of typical recyclates obtained in the glycolysis reaction. This type of research has not yet been described in the literature. The new biocomponents obtained as a result of the polyolysis reaction were used to produce open-cell foams in which 100% of the petrochemical polyol was replaced with a rebiopolyol. The resulting foam materials were characterized by a thermal conductivity coefficient of about 36 mW/m·K, density of about 15 kg/m3 and compressive strength of about 50 kPa.

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