Abstract
The paper describes the preparation and characterization of rigid polyurethane-polyisocyanurate (PUR-PIR) foams obtained with biopolyol synthesized in the process of liquefaction of biomass from the Baltic Sea. The obtained foams differed in the content of biopolyol in polyol mixture (0–30 wt%) and the isocyanate index (IISO = 200, 250, and 300). The prepared foams were characterized in terms of processing parameters (processing times, synthesis temperature), physical (sol fraction content, apparent density) and chemical structure (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), microstructure (computer microtomography), as well as mechanical (compressive strength, dynamic mechanical analysis), and thermal properties (thermogravimetric analysis, thermal conductivity coefficient). The influence of biopolyol and IISO content on the above properties was determined. The addition of up to 30 wt% of biopolyol increased the reactivity of the polyol mixture, and the obtained foams showed enhanced mechanical, thermal, and insulating properties compared to foams prepared solely with petrochemical polyol. The addition of up to 30 wt% of biopolyol did not significantly affect the chemical structure and average cell size. With the increase in IISO, a slight decrease in processing times and mechanical properties was observed. As expected, foams with higher IISO exhibited a higher relative concentration of polyisocyanurate groups in their chemical structure, which was confirmed using principal component analysis (PCA).
Highlights
Algae biomass is commonly used around the world on an industrial scale, mainly for consumer, industrial, pharmaceutical, and cosmetology purposes
This paper presents the method of preparation and the characteristics of rigid polyurethane-polyisocyanurate foams obtained using biopolyol resulting from the abovementioned liquefaction process
A significant increase of the maximum temperature reached during foaming was noted, which could be associated with the enhanced reactivity of the systems with a higher content of biopolyol
Summary
Algae biomass is commonly used around the world on an industrial scale, mainly for consumer, industrial, pharmaceutical, and cosmetology purposes. Algae have been used in the food industry for many years as a rich source of low-calorie nutrients [1,2,3]. Mainly dried, freeze-dried algae, and algae extracts are used [4]. Algae biomass is characterized by a high content of various biologically active compounds, among others with antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory effects [5,6,7,8]. Due to its renewable nature, interest in using algae has increased in recent years, including in the energy sector [9] and the plastics industry [10].
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