Oil-based Polyol Research Articles

Development of Palm Oil-Based Polyol for the Environmentally Sustainable Production of Polyurethane Foam

This study synthesized bio-polyols from epoxidized palm oil (EPO) and polysorbate (Tween20), and developed polyurethane foams using these bio-polyols. FT-IR confirmed the formation of urethane linkages, with increased EPO ratios enhancing urethane content. SEM showed that the PU foams exhibited a spherical open-cell structure, with cell sizes increasing at higher EPO ratios. The compressive modulus decreased with higher EPO ratios at an NCO/OH molar ratio of 0.8, whereas compressive strength increased at an NCO/OH molar ratio of 1.0 due to thicker cell walls and enhanced urethane linkages. Resilience tests showed increased energy absorption with higher EPO ratios, attributed to phase mixing and the presence of free urethane and urea. These findings suggest that EPO-based polyol PU foams could be used in applications such as cushioning, noise reduction, and vibration energy mitigation, primarily in the furniture, bedding, carpet underlay, and transportation industries.

Pressure Distribution of Polyurethane Foam Based on Palm Oil Content

This study explores the effect of varying epoxidized palm oil (EPO) content on the mechanical properties and pressure distribution of polyurethane (PU) foam. Polyurethane foams were synthesized with EPO concentrations of 25%, 50%, and 75%, and their morphologies, densities, hardness, compressive strength, and pressure distribution capabilities were analyzed. The results showed that increasing EPO content significantly affects the foam's cell structure, leading to variations in density and mechanical properties. PU foam with 50% EPO exhibited a more open-cell structure, resulting in lower density and hardness but compromised compressive strength. Conversely, foam with 75% EPO content demonstrated improved pressure distribution despite increased density and nonuniform cell sizes. These findings highlight the potential of using palm oil-based polyols to develop sustainable PU foams, balancing flexibility and mechanical strength for applications in cushioning and pressure relief materials. The study underscores the importance of optimizing EPO content to achieve desirable foam properties for specific applications.

Antibacterial and Antifouling Biobased Waterborne Polyurethane Prepared from Amphiphilic Plant Oil-Based Polyols

Antibacterial and Antifouling Biobased Waterborne Polyurethane Prepared from Amphiphilic Plant Oil-Based Polyols

Investigating the Corrosion Inhibition Performance of a Novel Coconut Oil-Based Poly(urethane-urea) Hybrid Coating on Carbon Steel in 3.5% NaCl Solution

Polyurethane has been used for years as an anti-corrosion coating due to its intrinsic hydrophobic properties. However, its hydrophobicity is not enough to inhibit the permeation of corrosive agents; thus, incorporating it with polyurea would further enhance its hydrophobic properties. In this study, coconut oil, a saturated, low molecular weight vegetable oil, was employed as an eco-friendly precursor for synthesizing a novel poly(urethane-urea)- based hybrid coating. The synthesis process involved the utilization of a coconut oil-based polyol blend, triethanolamine (TEA) as an amine source, and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). The resulting hybrid coating on carbon steel demonstrated remarkable anticorrosion performance in a 3.5 wt. % NaCl solution, owing to the intrinsic hydrophobic characteristics of coconut oil and polyurea. Significant corrosion rate reduction was observed with increasing amine content, accompanied by an enhancement in mechanical properties. Notably, an amine loading of 4% consistently exhibited superior corrosion resistance and mechanical performance in the hybrid coating. Chemical structural analysis revealed a hydrogen-bonding network in polyurea coatings, reducing porosity, enhancing barrier properties, and improving mechanical characteristics, highlighting its potential for sustainable corrosion protection.

Improved thermal stability and flame retardancy of soybean oil-based polyol rigid polyurethane foams modified with magnesium borate hydroxide and ammonium polyphosphate

The concept of sustainable development has led to a growing research interest in bio-based flame-retardant polyurethane foams. These foams offer environmentally friendly, sustainable, and flame-retardant raw materials for the construction, automotive, and furniture industries. The 15 wt% soybean oil-based polyol rigid polyurethane foams (RPUF-S3A20B system) were modified with 20 wt% ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and homemade magnesium borate hydroxide (MgBO2(OH)). Thermogravimetric analysis, pyrolysis kinetic analysis, limiting oxygen index (LOI) test, cone calorimetry (CONE), morphological analysis, and smoke density (Ds) were employed to investigate the impact of MgBO2(OH) on the thermal stability and flame-retardant properties of the RPUF-S3A20B system. The results indicated that RPUF-S3A20B12.5 with 12.5 wt% MgBO2(OH) had better thermal stability and higher activation energy. In addition, its LOI was increased by 3.1% compared to RPUF-S3A20 without MgBO2(OH). The peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release rate (THR) of RPUF-S3A20B12.5 at a radiant flux of 25 kW/m2 were reduced by 45.8% and 35.0% compared with RPUF-S3A20. RPUF-S3A20B12.5 demonstrated the lowest smoke density (17.4 and 17.5) and highest light transmission (73.9% and 73.7%) in both flameless and flame conditions, indicating superior flame-retardant and smoke-suppression properties. These findings offered valuable insights for further research on synergistic flame-retardant systems in bio-based polyurethane foams.

Fabrication of nickel phytate modified bio-based polyol rigid polyurethane foam with enhanced compression-resistant and improved flame-retardant

A bio-based flame retardant nickel phytate (PA-Ni) was synthesized and combined with soybean oil-based polyol (SO) to create a green rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) with enhanced compressive strength, good thermal stability and flame retardant. The results showed that the RPUF-SO2/Ni3 with 3 wt% PA-Ni had the highest initial and termination temperature, maximum thermal decomposition rate temperature and carbon residue, and better thermal stability. Its limiting oxygen index was increased by 2.6% compared with RPUF-SO2 without PA-Ni added, and the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release rate (THR) were reduced by 14.92% and 19.92%, respectively. In addition, RPUF-SO2/Ni3 had the lowest Ds under the conditions of flame (18.90) and flameless (22.41), and had the best smoke suppression effect. And the compressive strength of RPUF-SO/Ni3 was significantly enhanced by the addition of PA-Ni. The results show that the improvement of flame retardancy of RPUF is mainly the result of the combined effect of gas-phase and condensed-phase flame retardancy, among which the flame retardancy of RPUF-SO/Ni3 was the best. The current findings offer a practical way to produce green and low-carbon RPUF as well as promising prospects for the material's safe application.

Exploring Soybean Oil-Based Polyol and the Effect of Non-halogenated Flame Retardants in Rigid Polyurethane Foam

Exploring Soybean Oil-Based Polyol and the Effect of Non-halogenated Flame Retardants in Rigid Polyurethane Foam

A novel naturally superoleophilic coconut oil-based foam with inherent hydrophobic properties for oil and grease sorption

Absorption methods using polyurethane foams (PUFs) have recently gained popularity in treating oil spills. However, conventional petroleum-based PUFs lack selectivity and are commonly surface-modified using complicated processes that require toxic and harmful solvents to enhance their hydrophobicity and oil sorption capacities. In this paper, a novel naturally superoleophilic foam with inherent hydrophobic properties has been developed through the conventional one-shot foaming method with the integration of coconut oil-based polyol. This bio-based polyol was explicitly handpicked as it is chiefly saturated, highly abundant, and inexpensive. The foam is characterized by an oil sorption capacity range of 14.89–24.65 g g−1 for different types of oil, equivalent to 578–871 times its weight. Its hydrophobic behavior is expressed through a water contact angle of ~ 139°. The foam also showcased excellent chemical stability and high recyclability without a significant loss in absorption capacity after 20 cycles. The incorporation of the coconut oil-based polyol is also shown to improve the morphological, mechanical, and thermal behavior of the foam. It can be inferred from these findings that this novel material holds great potential for revolutionizing sorbents, pioneering a more sustainable and eco-friendly functional material produced via a facile method.

The role of Zinc Molybdate in the anticorrosion and antibacterial characteristics of sustainable polyurethane coating derived from epoxidized soybean oil

Vegetable oils are important renewable sources that have been used as alternative feedstocks to petroleum for the synthesis of polyols. Polyols are compounds that contain multiple hydroxyl groups in a molecule and are a major component of polyurethanes. One of the oldest problems that many industries face today is corrosion. Polyurethane coatings reduce the rate of corrosion reactions but are not completely impermeable to corrosive agents. Nanoparticles, due to their high surface area and small particle size, can improve the performance of polyurethane coatings and block the penetration of corrosive agents. This research aims to prepare polyurethane coatings using soybean oil-based polyol and investigate the corrosion resistance performance of polyurethane coatings by adding Zinc Molybdate (ZnMoO4) nanoparticles. To achieve this goal, a polyol based on soybean oil was synthesized through the ring-opening reaction of Epoxidized soybean oil. Then, polyurethane coatings with 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 wt% of ZnMoO4 nanoparticles were prepared. Characterization of the polyurethane coatings was performed using FTIR, HNMR, and FESEM. The mechanical properties were also examined. Finally, the corrosion resistance activity of these nanocomposites was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization tests. The results showed that adding 0.5%w/w of ZnMoO4 nanoparticles can improve the performance of polyurethane coatings against corrosion, as the nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the surface of the coating and blocked the penetration of corrosive agents. Therefore, 0.5 wt% ZnMoO4 nanoparticles can be considered as the optimal amount in this experiment. Moreover, the modified coating with ZnMoO4 nanoparticles can effectively act against both gram (+) and gram (-) bacteria.

A Novel Polyfunctional Polyurethane Acrylate Derived from Castor Oil-Based Polyols for Waterborne UV-Curable Coating Application.

Because of its unique molecular structure and renewable properties, vegetable oil has gradually become the focus of researchers. In this work, castor oil was first transformed into a castor oil-based triacrylate structure (MACOG) using two steps of chemical modification, then it was prepared into castor oil-based waterborne polyurethane acrylate emulsion, and finally, a series of coating materials were prepared under UV curing. The results showed that with the increase in MACOG content, the glass transition temperature of the sample was increased from 20.3 °C to 46.6 °C, and the water contact angle of its surface was increased from 73.85 °C to 90.57 °C. In addition, the thermal decomposition temperature, mechanical strength, and water resistance of the samples were also greatly improved. This study not only provides a new idea for the preparation of waterborne polyurethane coatings with excellent comprehensive properties but also expands the application of biomass material castor oil in the field of coating.

Synthesis, UV-curing behaviors and general properties of acrylate-urethane resins prepared from castor oil-based polyols

Castor oil-based polyols with high OH values are synthesized through the low odor thiol-ene reaction and then are used for preparing UV-curable acrylate-urethane resins (AUCORs). The structure of the AUCORs is confirmed by 1H NMR and IR. The AUCORs based resins containing diluents can rapidly form cured films under UV light irradiation in air, with a very high gel ratio of over 95 %. The UV-curing dynamics shows that polymerization rate and final acrylate conversion under the N2 atmosphere both depend on CC bond content, but they are reduced under air due to oxygen inhibition effect. All the cured films have good heat stability with an initial decomposition temperature over 300 °C. The cured films can display different Tg within the region of 55–85 °C depending on the crosslink density tuned by the acrylate/urethane content. The urethane content/diluter can affect some general properties of the coating films, for instance water absorption ability, wettability, hardness and adhesion force. Interestingly, the cured films have a very good light transmittance in the visible light region, as high as that of glass slides.

Preparation of bio-based porous material with high oil adsorption capacity from bio-polyurethane and sugarcane bagasse.

This work presents the fabrication of bio-based porous material for highly efficient removing of oil from oil/water system. The sunflower oil-based polyol was synthesized and then used to replace the petro-polyol in the simultaneous preparation of a sugarcane bagasse-polyurethane composite (SC-PU composite) by inserting sugarcane fiber filler into the PU matrix. The bio-polyol was obtained from sunflower oil with a hydroxyl number of 182 mg KOH g-1, and functionality of 3.5 OH groups per mol. The bio-polyol and the newly designed bio-based SC-PU composite were characterized by NMR, FT-IR and SEM analysis. The effect of several parameters such as bio-polyol/petro-polyol ratio, dosage of adding sugarcane fiber and size of filler particles on oil adsorption capacity of a new sorbent material were also investigated. Oil sorption capacity of the newly designed sorbent was relatively high, up to 15.2 g g-1 when 20% sugarcane bagasse with a particle size of 1 mm was added into the bio-polyurethane matrix. This is nearly four times higher than that of neat PU foam without the biomass filler and lignocellulosic materials. This finding demonstrated the importance of selecting the right components to fabricate a cost-effective, highly renewable and biodegradable sorbent with high oil-water separation efficiency, reducing the use of chemicals from fossil sources.

Novel enrichment in biobased monomers of waterborne polyurethane dispersions as a textile finishing agent for poly-cotton fabrics

This study introduces a novel biobased textile finishing agent synthesized as waterborne polyurethane dispersions (FCCB-WPUDs), utilizing bio-based monomers like fenugreek oil-based polyol, corn oil-derived emulsifier, and cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) chain extender. The FCCB-WPUDs were prepared through the prepolymer polymerization method and characterized using FTIR, TGA, DMA, SEM, DLS, and swelling tests. Their application to poly-cotton fabrics significantly improved various fabric properties. The enhancements included increased washing fastness (from 3/4 ± 0.01 to 4 ± 0.02 for dyed and 3 ± 0.02 to 4/5 ± 0.02 for printed fabrics), rubbing fastness (from 3 ± 0.02 to 4/5 ± 0.03 for dyed and 4 ± 0.02 to 4/5 ± 0.03 for printed fabrics), and perspiration fastness (from 3 ± 0.02 to 4 ± 0.03 for acidic dyed and 3/4 ± 0.02 to 4 ± 0.02 for alkaline printed fabrics). Additionally, tear strengths improved significantly (from 13.66 ± 0.04 N/m to 20.53 ± 0.06 N/m for warp dyed and 10.85 ± 0.06 N/m to 15.14 ± 0.06 N/m for warp printed fabrics), along with tensile strengths (from 327 ± 5.38 N/m to 361 ± 3.26 N/m for warp dyed and 357 ± 5.34 N/m to 449 ± 4.90 N/m for warp printed fabrics). These improvements correlated with increasing CAB moles as a chain extender. This research presents a cost-effective and simple biobased method for textile finishing, offering an alternative to petrochemical-based monomers in conventional WPUD preparation.

Fabrication of expandable graphite and soybean oil-based synergistic modified polyurethane foam with improved thermal stability and flame retardant properties

Abstract Biomass soybean oil-based polyol rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) was modified and prepared by expandable graphite (EG). The effects of EG on the thermal stability and flame retardant properties of soybean oil-based polyol RPUFs were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, pyrolysis kinetic analysis, conical calorimetry and flue gas toxicity analysis. The results showed that modified RPUF (RPUF-4) with EG content of 20 wt% had the highest initial and end temperatures, the highest activation energy E, the lowest Ds (17.6), and the highest light transmittance (73.6 %). At the same time, RPUF-4 had the lowest heat release rate (10.1 and 16.5 kW/m2), the lowest total heat release (1.5 and 2.1 MJ/m2), and the lowest average toxic gas emissions. The current study indicated that RPUF-4 had better thermal stability and flame retardant performance, which provided a useful reference for subsequent biomass flame retardant modified RPUFs.

Correction: Green Synthesis of Polyurethanes Using Soybean Oil-Based Polyols for Bioactive Functional Fabrics

Correction: Green Synthesis of Polyurethanes Using Soybean Oil-Based Polyols for Bioactive Functional Fabrics

Synthesis of Silanated Coconut Oil-Based Waterborne Polyurethane Coating for Corrosion Protection

In this study, an eco-friendly coconut oil-based polyol blend was synthesized for bio-based waterborne polyurethane (WBPU) and WBPU-silane composite coatings. It was demonstrated that an increase in silane content incorporated into the WBPU matrix significantly enhanced the corrosion protection of WBPU coatings. Results also show a fourfold increase in the adhesion strength of WBPU-silane composite coatings as compared to that of bare WBPU coatings. Further, the water contact angle revealed that hydrophobic properties increase as the silane content incorporated into the WBPU matrix increases. This work provides a novel route for enhanced corrosion protection utilizing a bio-based polyol blend.

Influence of palm oil-based polyols on the microstructure and properties of bio-based flexible polyurethane foams

Influence of palm oil-based polyols on the microstructure and properties of bio-based flexible polyurethane foams

Study on reduction potential of curing agent in sustainable bio-based controlled release coatings

Sustainable polyurethane coated fertilizer is attracting much attention. Reducing the amount of curing agent is promising to improve the bio-content and biodegradability of coating material. In order to achieve the aim, the research attempted to select palm oil with balanced unsaturation as feedstock, hydrochloric acid as both catalyst and nucleophilic reagent for bio-polyols with low hydroxyl values by the epoxidation/ring-opening reaction. The chemical structures of palm oil-based polyols and properties of polyurethanes were tailored by controlling hydrochloric acid amount, and the effect was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), etc. With the increase of hydrochloric acid amount, hydroxyl value, functionality and viscosity of palm oil-based polyol were gradually increased. The resultant coatings prepared by the palm oil-based polyol with hydroxyl value exceeding 120 mg KOH g−1 and functionality of more than 2 had good macroscopic performances including controlled nutrient release property as a result of high crosslinking density. The optimum amount was 10%, for the viscosity of the relative palm oil-based polyol was beneficial to the coating process. The bio-content of the coating was 67% and the nitrogen release duration of the coated urea was 73 days at the coating rate of 7% even without paraffin. Overall, the way offers a bio-based platform to create a variety of polyurethane coated fertilizer that promises economic and environmental benefits.

Fabrication of soybean oil-based polyol modified polyurethane foam from ammonium polyphosphate and its thermal stability and flame retardant properties

Abstract Rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) were prepared using biomass soybean oil-based polyol and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) as raw materials. The effects of APP on the thermal stability and combustion performance of soybean oil-based polyol-modified RPUFs were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, pyrolysis kinetic analysis, limiting oxygen index (LOI) test, cone calorimetry (CONE), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and smoke density (Ds). The results showed that the modified RPUF with 20 wt% APP (RPUF-S3-20) had the lowest mass loss, the highest integrated programmed decomposition temperature and the highest activation energy. In addition, RPUF-S3-20 had the lowest Ds (30.9), the highest light transmittance (61.4 %), the lowest heat release rate (602.7 kW/m2, 506.8 MJ/m2, and 847.3 kW/m2) and the total heat release (18.3 MJ/m2, 21.4 MJ/m2, and 31.4 MJ/m2), which showed that RPUF-S3-20 had good thermal stability and flame retardant performance. The current results can provide an effective reference for the preparation of environmentally friendly RPUF by bio-based modification.

Experimental and numerical study of rigid polyurethane foams for mechanical characteristics using finite element analysis

Over the past three decades, the global market has attracted polyurethane (PU) foams. It has been estimated that three-quarters of global consumption of polyurethane products are mainly foams. Based on hardness and density, foams can be classified into flexible and rigid. Features like flexibility, durability, stiffness, lightweight, less cost, and low density make foams more suitable for a wide range of automotive, industrial and agricultural industries. In this aspect, rigid foams are largely used as base materials for insulating purposes, seals, gaskets, tires, bedding, and seating of trucks. Generally, these PU foams are synthesized by mixing two chemicals: polyol and isocyanates. But unfortunately, the utilisation of Petro-based polyols makes PU foam restricted due to the rapid depletion of fossil fuels. Hence, this study attempts to replace Petro-based polyols with castor oil-based polyols. Other mechanical properties, such as compression strength, were tested to evaluate its ductile and flow behaviour. Finally, the developed Kelvin foam models were used for Finite Elemental Analysis (FEM) using ANSYS software to validate experimental results. Based on the results shows that both experimental and numerical analysis of castor oil PU foams resulted in greater compressive strength when compared to Petro-based PU foams.