Abstract
An industrially manufactured recycled polyol, obtained by acidolysis process, was for the first time proved to be a possible replacement of the reference fossil-based polyol in a low-density formulation suitable for industrial production of flexible polyurethane foams. The influence of increasing recycled polyol amounts on the properties of the polyurethane foam has been studied, also performing foam emission tests to evaluate the environmental impact. Using 10 pbw recycled polyol in the standard formulation, significant differences of the physical properties were not observed, but increase of the recycled polyol amount to 30 pbw led to a dramatic decrease of the foam air flow and a very tight foam. To overcome this drawback, N,N′-bis[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]urea was selected as tertiary amine catalyst, enabling the preservation of foam properties even at high recycled polyol level (30 pbw). Foam emission data demonstrated that this optimized foam formulation also led to an important reduction of volatile organic compounds. The results open the way for further optimization studies in low-density flexible polyurethane foam formulations, to increase the reutilization of the polyurethane waste and reduce the amount of petroleum-based raw materials.
Highlights
Synthetic organic polymers are nowadays indispensable for everyday life, but at the same time, they represent a major source of waste
The recycled polyol can be used as raw material in low-density flexible polyurethane foam formulations
The increase of recycled polyol in the same formulation affects the physical properties of the foam, the airflow, which was reduced from 123 L air/min to only 1 L air/min when the amount of recycled polyol was increased to 30 pbw, indicating a very high level of closed cells
Summary
Synthetic organic polymers are nowadays indispensable for everyday life, but at the same time, they represent a major source of waste. Reduction of plastic waste emerged as a major goal, and several modalities have been proposed, including its conversion into fuels or in monomers able to be recycled [1]. The global polyurethane foam market is projected to grow from roughly 15 million tons in 2020 to 20 million tons by 2025, with an annual growth rate of 7.5% from 2020 to 2025. The major reasons for the development of the polyurethane foams market include growing end-use industries such as bedding and furniture, electronics, automotive and building construction, driven by emerging economies [2]. Flexible slabstock polyurethane foam comprises a third of the total global demand of polyurethane foam. In accordance with the global effort to reduce the utilization of fossil-based feedstock, there is a clear need to identify alternative solutions to sustain the polyurethane growth projections
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