Open Access

ARTICLE

Polyols Based on Poly(ethylene terephthalate) and Tall Oil: Perspectives for Synthesis and Production of Rigid Polyurethane Foams

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1 Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, 27 Dzerbenes, LV-1006, Riga, Latvia
2 Institute of Research in Materials Science and Technology (INTEMA), National University of Mar del Plata – National Research Council (CONICET), Av. Juan B. Justo 4302, (7600) Mar del Plata, Argentina

*Corresponding author:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2016, 4(4), 285-293. https://doi.org/10.7569/JRM.2016.634122

Abstract

This study presents the synthesis of novel polyols made from tall oil (TO) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with different TO/PET molar ratios. Rigid polyurethane foams based on these synthesized polyols were obtained and characterized to evaluate polyols’ suitability for the development of light materials with insulating properties. The effect of TO/PET molar ratios on the physical, morphological and mechanical properties of the obtained foams, as well as their thermal insulation characteristics, were evaluated. Increasing amounts of PET in polyurethane foams resulted in higher compression strength and closed cell content, while water absorption was not affected. Results indicated that certain TO/PET polyols can be successfully used for preparing rigid polyurethane foams.

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