Polyurethanes from seed oil-based polyols: A review of synthesis, mechanical and thermal properties

• Published in: Industrial crops and products 2019-12, Vol.142, p.111841, Article 111841
• Main Authors: Ghasemlou, Mehran, Daver, Fugen, Ivanova, Elena P., Adhikari, Benu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Mechanical properties; Polyols; Polyurethanes; Synthesis; Thermal properties; Vegetables oils
• ISSN: 0926-6690; 1872-633X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.111841

[Display omitted] •Various routes for the synthesis of seed oil-based polyols are reviewed.•The mechanical and thermal properties of seed oil-based PUs are discussed.•Relationship between polyol OH number and thermomechanical performance is highlighted.•The seed oil-based PUs are expected to attract commercial interest and scientific research. Polyurethanes (PUs) are multipurpose polymers that are increasingly used in many industrial fields. The main compounds used to synthesize PUs are still derived from petrochemicals. The last decade has witnessed an upsurge of research and technological innovations in developing PUs, especially the polyol component from bio-based resources. These efforts are primarily driven by uncertainty surrounding the crude oil reserves and environmental pollution. Among the bio-derived resources, seed oils are the most promising and intensely investigated raw materials in the PU industry due to their abundance, inherent biodegradability, and low price. There are numerous strategies to chemically functionalize the structure of seed oils by introducing hydroxyl groups and convert them into reactive polyols for PU synthesis. The seed oil-based polyols with different structures and functions enable synthesis of industrial PUs with mechanical and thermal characteristics comparable to those of petrochemical-based PUs. Herein we systematically review the literature on synthesis of PUs using polyols derived from seed oils with special focus on their mechanical performance and thermal properties. Given the potential of seed oil-based PUs in many industrial applications, we expect that they will attract increasing commercial interest and scientific research to bring these materials to the market in the near future.