Development of eco-friendly polyurethane foams based on Lesquerella fendleri (A. Grey) oil-based polyol

• Published in: European polymer journal 2020-04, Vol.128, p.109606, Article 109606
• Main Authors: Contreras, Jorge, Valdés, Oscar, Mirabal-Gallardo, Yaneris, de la Torre, Alexander F., Navarrete, José, Lisperguer, Justo, Durán-Lara, Esteban F., Santos, Leonardo S., Nachtigall, Fabiane M., Cabrera-Barjas, Gustavo, Abril, Diana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Blowing agents; Bulk density; Catalysts; Chemical properties; Chromatography; Compression tests; Degradation; Diphenyl methane diisocyanate; Fourier transforms; Hydrogen peroxide; Infrared analysis; Infrared spectroscopy; Iodine; Lesquerella fendleri; NMR spectroscopy; Plastic foam; Polyol; Polyurethane; Polyurethane foam; Polyurethane foams; Pore size; Porosity; Renewable resource; Thermogravimetric analysis; Vegetable oil
• ISSN: 0014-3057; 1873-1945
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2020.109606

[Display omitted] •Eco-friendly polyurethane foams from Lesquerella fendleri (A. Grey) oil-based polyol.•Polyurethane foams exhibit good physicochemical and thermal properties.•MALDI analysis demonstrate the main degradation products of polyurethane foams. In this study, we investigated the potential of polyurethane foams (LPUF) prepared from Lesquerella fendleri (A. Grey) oil-derived polyol to use as an ecological and cheap substitute for the petroleum-based polyurethane foams. The polyol was synthesized by a one-single step reaction using a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid. The L. fendleri oil and the synthetized polyol were characterized by their physical–chemical properties as well as chromatographic analysis, iodine value, yield, saponification number, kinematic viscosity, density, theorical molecular weight, hydroxyl number, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The obtained L. fendleri oil-based polyol reacted with aromatic diphenylmethane diisocyanate in the presence of water, N,N,N′,N′′,N′′-Pentamethyldiethylenetriamine, stannous 2-ethylhexanoate and silicone, which were used as a blowing agent, catalysts and surfactant, respectively, to produce LPUF. The effects of the amount of diphenylmethane diisocyanate on apparent density values, compression test, and the average pore size of LPUFs property were studied. The results revealed that all these properties are correlated with the MDI amount. The ATR-FTIR, TGA, SEM and selective degradation test were performed for the LPUFs, which revealed that the foam formations were successful. We obtained a macroporous structure with a combination of both open and closed cells that is more thermoresistant than the precursors with degradation products derived from hydroxylated lesquerolic (major) and linolenic (minor) acids.