29. Jul 2024

Polyurethane biofoams based on cherry seed oil

In the July issue of Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy a group of scientists from the Cracow University of Technology published an article about their research on Cherry seeds for the production of polyols for polyurethane.

In the experiments carried out, cherry fruits were used as a renewable raw material to obtain hydroxyl components for polyurethane foams. Polyphenols from cherry fruit were used to obtain a stable suspension of nanosilver particles dispersed in diethylene glycol, while cherry seeds were a renewable source of oil, which was transesterified into biopolyol.

In order to select the best conditions, the transesterification reaction was carried out with different amounts of a catalyst, at different temperatures and with different contents of nanoAg dispersion. Nine different biopolyols were obtained. The biopolyols were characterised by viscosities ranging from 50 to 80 mPa⋅s and hydroxyl numbers from 260 to 280 mgKOH/g. The biopolyols were a mixture of products and differed in their contents. The biopolyols obtained at temperatures above 175 °C and with a catalyst share of more than 0.3% were characterised by the highest monoglyceride/monoester contents of over 50%.

The addition of nanosilver was not found to affect the transesterification process. Such biocomponents containing nanosilver particles were used to obtain thermal insulating polyurethane foams resistant to the Candida albicans strain. The resulting foams had apparent densities of 16–18 kg/m3, thermal conductivity coefficients between 35 and 37 mW/mK and compressive strengths of 20–65 kPa.

A statistical analysis was performed of the influence of the nanosilver concentration in diethylene glycol, reaction temperature and catalyst concentration on the properties of the biopolyols and final foams. It was found that parameters which were crucial for obtaining the best foams (in terms of their physical and mechanical properties) are:

  • catalyst content: 0.225%
  • DEG concentration with nanoAg: 25%
  • Temperature: 188 °C.

The process of obtaining polyurethane foams was fully consistent with the principles of Green Chemistry. In particular, the use of raw materials from renewable sources fits in with the principles of Green Chemistry exceptionally well. The proposed processes allow atomic economy to be preserved. This is because the syntheses had been designed to maximize the proportion of substrates in the final product. The process for obtaining polyurethane foams with silver nanoparticles Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.

New thermal insulating polyurethane biofoams based on cherry seed oil is waste-free. No substances hazardous to the environment or living organisms were used during the syntheses. The orientation of the research to the use of plant-derived reactants contributed significantly to this.

In addition, the innovative polyurethane materials obtained completely retain their functions and show less harmfulness compared to polyurethanes obtained on the basis of conventional polyols. What is more, owing to the content of silver nanoparticles, their functionality was even enhanced, as they gained new antimicrobial properties. The proposed method of introducing silver nanoparticles into the structure of polyurethane foams relied on an efficient use of energy. The process of forming nanoparticles was carried out at room temperature using a single source of both reducing and stabilizing substances. The formation processes of polyurethane foams used catalytic systems to enable efficient formation of the desired products. Through the use of statistical methods of data analysis, processes are fully controlled, giving the most efficient use of process parameters.

Source:
Malewska, Elżbieta & Pulit-Prociak, Jolanta & Zielina, Michał & Matyjasik, Wiktoria & Hodacka, Gabriela & Prociak, Tomasz & Banach, Marcin & Kurańska, Maria & Prociak, Aleksander. (2024). New thermal insulating polyurethane biofoams based on cherry seed oil. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy. 1-19. 10.1007/s10098-024-02956-2.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10098-024-02956-2
https://www.pk.edu.pl/

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