Structure and properties of the polyurethane and polyurethane foam synthesized from castor oil polyols

Abstract

Polyols were synthesized from castor oil with diethanolamine and triethanolamine at the molar ratios from 1:1M to 1:3M with the total hydroxyl value and amino value in the range from 291 to 512 mg KOH/g. Bio-based rigid polyurethane foams with good mechanical properties, a high closed-cell content and the renewable content in the range from 25.0 to 35.6 wt% were obtained. Polyurethane coatings' tensile strength and modulus of elasticity are higher for the samples obtained from castor oil/diethanolamine polyols, but the highest elongation at break is for the polyurethane from castor oil/triethanolamine polyols. In the temperature range from 150°C to 350°C, the polyurethanes from castor oil/triethanolamine have lower weight losses than the polyurethane from castor oil/diethanolamine polyols. The presence of polyethylene glycol enhances the degradability of the bio-based polyurethane foams in the presence of fungi. © 2012 The Author(s).