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 >

Ilze Beverte^1,*, Vairis Shtrauss¹, Aldis Kalpinsh¹, Uldis Lomanovskis¹, Ugis Cabulis², Irina Sevastyanova², Sergejs Gaidukovs³

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.9, pp. 1151-1170, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.010215

Abstract Early investigations of dielectric permittivity of rigid polyurethane foams at low frequencies were made on petrochemical-origin foams, mainly by means of parallel plate capacitors. In the present investigation biopolyol was synthesized from Latvia-grown rapeseeds’ oil by the transesterification method with triethanolamine, in an environmentally friendly process, without emission of harmful substances, at temperatures 175°C ± 5°C. Rigid, closed-cell rapeseed oil polyol polyurethane biofoams and petrochemical foams were made ensuring content of the renewable rapeseed oil polyol in ready foams 27 wt.%–29 wt.%. Dielectric permittivity of the polyurethane foams and the underlying monolithic petrochemical-origin polyurethane and biopolyurethane was measured with a… More >

Piotr Rojek², Mirta I. Aranguren¹, Aleksander Prociak², Mirna A. Mosiewicki^1*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.4, pp. 266-274, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2016.634113

Abstract Solid biobased polyurethanes (PUs) were prepared from a rapeseed oil-based polyol (ROPO) synthesized by epoxidation reaction followed by oxirane ring-opening with diethylene glycol. The reference material was modified by replacement of the ROPO with glycerol in different proportions and also by addition of commercial microcellulose (MC). The curing process of the reactive mixtures was monitored by rheological measurements and the analysis showed that both MC and glycerol increase the time of crossover between storage and loss modulus (liquid to solid transition in the response at 1 Hz). The completely cured polyurethanes were characterized by physical, morphological and mechanical analysis. The… More >