Low density polyurethane composites reinforced with vegetable fibers

NORMA E. MARCOVICH; MIRTA I. ARANGUREN; ILONA RÁCZ; ENDRE ANDERSEN

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Congreso; XXII Interamerican Congress of chemical Engineering - V Argentinian Congress of Chemical Engineering; 2006

This work was focused in the production and characterization of foamed polyurethane composites reinforced with pine wood-fibers/particles or with hemp, that can be used in car interior panels, construction and acoustic insulation. The polymers utilized were crosslinked PU´s, formulated from two different polyols: a recycled one and another derived from castor oil. These polyols were used in different formulations, adjusted to obtain different foaming levels. Microfoamed composites with preferentially aligned fibers were prepared from long hemp fibers. Also, samples with random arrangement of short hemp, wood fibers and wood flour were obtained. The mechanical performance of the reinforced foams was studied through three point bending and dynamic mechanical tests. The morphology of the composites (cell type and diameter, fiber-PU interface) was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy