Properties of Natural Composites from Wood Flour and Tung Oil Based Polyol

M. A. MOSIEWICKI; U. CASADO; N. E. MARCOVICH; M. I. ARANGUREN

Lima, Perú

Simposio; XI Simposio Latinoamericano y IX Congreso Iberoamericano de Polímeros, SLAP 2008; 2008

The synthesis of polyurethanes (PU) can be tuned up to offer a wide range of properties, making them suitable for different applications. In general, the polyols used for their production are derived from the petroleum industry [1]. However, the use of renewable natural products as an alternative source for raw materials has gained increased interest. Vegetable oils are available at low cost, offering potential bio-degradability. They are triglyceride molecules that can contain unsaturated fatty acid chains able to  react to give useful products for the polymer industry [2]. The main constituent of tung oil is elaeostearic acid (with 3 conjugated unsaturations) [3] suitable for a hydroxylation reaction. The use of wood flour (WF) as reinforcing material increases the content of low-cost, renewable materials in the composites. The OH groups in WF can react with the isocyanate groups present in the synthesis of the PU, improving the fiber-matrix adhesion. The aim of this work is to obtain reinforced PU using a polyol based on tung oil and using WF as reinforcement. The response of the materials in tensile and impact tests is presented and discussed.