Thomas J. Nelson, Lindsey Bultema, Neal Eidenschink, Dean C. Webster^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.1, No.2, pp. 141-153, 2013, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634113

Abstract Bio-based polyols with high functionality were successfully synthesized by ring-opening epoxidized sucrose esters of soybean oil with methanol under acidic conditions, and were subsequently formulated with blocked isocyanates to form one package polyurethanes (1KPU). The bio-based polyols were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1 H-NMR) spectroscopy, and Brookfi eld viscosity. Bio-based coatings were prepared by formulating the polyols with blocked polyisocyanates based on isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). Two types of bio-based polyols were synthesized and the ratio of NCO:OH functional groups was varied to explore the effect… More >

Hyoe Hatakeyama^1,*, Tatsuko Hatakeyama²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.1, No.2, pp. 113-123, 2013, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2012.634111

Abstract Lignin and saccharides are two major components of plants. Huge amounts of plant residues are obtained as by-products of large-scale industries, such as pulp and paper, bio-fuel and the food industry. In this paper, preparation of polyurethane (PU) foam directly from various kinds of industrial lignin and molasses, which have scarcely been utilized, is summarized based on our results obtained by recent investigation. A onestep reaction using hydroxyl groups of plant materials as an active site makes it possible to produce a wide variety of PU, such as foams, sheets, gels and composite matrix. In this paper, PU foams receive… More >

Donglin Tang^1,2, Shanmugam Thiyagarajan^2,3, Bart A.J. Noordover^1,*, Cor E. Koning¹, Daan S. van Es³, Jacco van Haveren

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.1, No.3, pp. 222-230, 2013, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634116

Abstract A series of fully renewable poly(ester urethane urea)s (PEUs) were synthesized from bio-based starting materials, e.g., the polyester diol, the diisocyanates including L-lysine diisocyanate (LDI) and isoidide diisocyanate (IIDI), the chain-extenders including 1,4-diaminobutane (bDA), diaminoisoidide (iDA) and di(aminobutyl) urea (b2 DA). It is found that the PEU based on the novel diisocyanate, IIDI, exhibits satisfactory thermal and mechanical properties. The LDI-based PEUs show less favorable thermal and mechanical properties than the IIDI-based counterpart, since the chemical structure of LDI is less regular than that of IIDI. However, by introducing a urea-containing dimeric diamine (b2 DA) instead of the monomeric diamines,… More >

Rodolfo J. González-Paz, Gerard Lligadas^*, Juan C. Ronda, Marina Galià, Virginia Cádiz

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.1, No.3, pp. 187-194, 2013, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634114

Abstract A thiol-reactive linear polyurethane was synthesized from a vinyl-sulphide-containing diol and a commercial diisocyanate. The diol was obtained from 10-undecynol, an alkyne-derivatized fatty compound, using hydrothiolation as a key reaction step. 10-Undecynol was prepared by reduction of 10-undecinoic acid methyl ester, which was prepared by successive bromation, dehydrobromination of the corresponding alkenic fatty acid. Solution and surface polymer modifi cation with a fl uorescent thiol was successful. More >

M.C. Basso^1,2, A. Pizzi^1,3,*, A. Celzard⁴

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.1, No.4, pp. 273-278, 2013, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634125

Abstract : Simultaneously monitoring the variation of temperature, foam rising rate, internal foam pressure and dielectric polarisation, the latter being a direct measure of setting and curing of a thermosetting foam, has allowed the comparison of the dynamic variation of determinant parameters of polyurethane foams and of tannin/furanic foams of different formulation and characteristics. This monitoring provides a good description of the process and possible characteristics of the prepared foam and constitutes an invaluable tool for foam formulation. Such a comparison indicates that fundamental differences, but also similarities, exist between the foaming processes of the two classes of foam. The dynamics… More >

L. Poussard^1,*, A. Mecheri¹, J. Mariage¹, I. Barakat¹, L. Bonnaud¹, J.-M. Raquez^1,2, P. Dubois^1,2

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 13-22, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634132

Abstract Biobased oligo(butylene succinate)-based thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) were prepared following a twostep polymerization process: condensation of succinic acid and butanediol and the chain extension of resulting hydroxyl-terminated butylene succinate oligomers (OBS) in the presence of butanediol as chain extender and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) as coupling agent. Mechanical and thermal properties of the elaborated TPUs were evaluated in terms of hard segment and compared with those of commercial polybutylene succinate (PBS), Bionolle 1001. Whatever the compositions, the ultimate tensile properties of OBS-based TPUs and Bionolle 1001 were found to exhibit similar values (ε_r ≈ 400%, σ_r ≈ 40 MPa), which can be… More >

Anda Fridrihsone-Girone

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.1, pp. 28-33, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634136

Abstract This study assesses present preliminary Life Cycle Inventory for rapeseed oil polyols suitable for the production of polyurethane, which is one of the most widely used polymer materials. Due to growing environmental problems, the polyurethane industry is seeking bio-based raw materials. A study was carried out for rapeseed oil triethanolamine polyol developed at Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry. The cradle-to-gate study was carried out with functional unit of 1 kg rapeseed oil polyol synthesized in a scaled-up pilot reactor. The results show that at the midpoint level the production of rapeseed oil has the highest impact in the following… More >

A. Paberza^*, L. Stiebra, U. Cabulis

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.1, pp. 19-27, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634138

Abstract Rigid polyurethane foams were obtained from pulp production byproducts. Three different polyols were used—tall oil polyol, lignopolyol and commercially available polyol for comparison. The obtained rigid polyurethane foams underwent photodegradation at 60°C temperature and at 0.89 W/m² intensity of UV light radiation up to 1000 h. Changes in chemical structure were observed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy was used to study changes in cell morphology. Spectrophotometery was used to determine yellowing of the foams. Results showed that the thickness of degraded layer for rigid polyurethane foams obtained from pulp production byproducts was ~25% less than for… More >

Sławomir Michałowski, Aleksander Prociak^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.1, pp. 14-18, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634131

Abstract This article describes the effects of the modifi cation of polyurethane system with rapeseed oil-based polyol on the cell structure and physical-mechanical properties of conventional fl exible polyurethane foams. The foams were prepared by substituting a part of the petrochemical polyether-polyols mixture with the bio-polyol based on rapeseed oil. Selected physical-mechanical properties of these foams were examined and compared to the properties of reference foam. The properties such as apparent density, resilience, comfort factor and stress-strain characteristics were analyzed in compression tests. It was found that the modifi cation of polyurethane formulation with rapeseed oil-based polyol improves the selected properties… More >

Tamara Calvo-Correas¹, Mirna A. Mosiewicki², M. Angeles Corcuera¹, Arantxa Eceiza¹, Mirta I. Aranguren^2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.1, pp. 3-13, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634132

Abstract Rigid polyurethane foams were synthesized by using a vegetable oil-based polyol and 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate prepolymer as the majority of reactives,. The polyol was produced by hydroxylation of crude linseed oil with performic acid generated in situ by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide and formic acid. The characterization by FTIR, H1 NMR, iodine and hydroxyl values of the polyol and its comparison with the original linseed oil supports the success of the reaction. The reference foam was subsequently modifi ed by substituting part of the linseed oil polyol with glycerol, diethylene glycol, and a polyethylene glycol (all of them of lower… More >