Rigid Polyurethane Foams Modified with Wood Sawdust

P.M. STEFANI; R. SPERONI; O. FAURE; J.M. KENNY; A. VAZQUEZ

Polymer Analysis, Degradation, and Stabilization

Nova Science Publishers

Lugar: NY; Año: 2005; p. 141 - 151

Rigid polyurethane foams (PUFs) were prepared from a commercial system (supplied by BASF – Argentina) with different amounts of moist Eucalyptus grandis sawdust. The properties and morphology of the PUFs were investigated with an optical microscopy and a universal testing machine. The optical microscopy analysis showed that the foaming process begins next to the sawdust fiber. This confirmed that the wood sawdust acts as nucleating agent of the blowing process due to the water impregnated in the same. The mechanical properties and the density results were related to the amount of sawdust utilized to obtain the PUF foams. The sawdust particles improved the mechanical properties, particularly for low density foams. Keywords: thermosets, polyurethane foam, blowing agent, particle nucleation, sawdust