Linseed oil-based polyurethane foams: manufacture and characterization

T. CALVO CORREAS; M. I. ARANGUEN; M. A. CORCUERA; A. ECEIZA; M. A. MOSIEWICKI

San Sebastian

Workshop; 5th Workshop Green Chemistry and Nanotechnologies in Polymer Chemistry, ECLIPSE Workshop, BIOPURFIL Workshop; 2014

The versatility of polyurethanes makes them well-known in a large number of industrial fields. In particular, foamed polyurethane can combine good mechanical strength and low weight, having potential applications in thermal insulation and construction materials. However, until now, the main raw materials (polyols and isocyanates) are mostly derived from the petroleum production. To replace synthetic polyols by others based in biomass is an ambitious objective with environmental and economic advantages. Among the renewable resources, the vegetable oils are widely available around the world and they present a relatively low cost1. Among the synthesis paths of polyols from oils, the hydroxylation reaction is an interesting alternative because of its simplicity. However, the properties of the final product depend on the conditions of the synthesis reaction and mainly on the amount of carbon-carbon double bonds of the unsaturated oil. The aim of this work was to develop and characterize new green polyurethane foams using a biopolyol based on linseed oil. The effect of adding glycerol into a basic formulation was also evaluated.