Speaker
Description
Polyurethane foams are certainly one of the most important materials used in a variety and daily applications, including comfort (matrasses) or energy savings (thermal insulation). Currently, intensive studies are in progress to develop more sustainable ways to produce these products to eliminate the use of toxic isocyanates. A few studies reported the preparation of non-isocyanate polyurethane foams, however, most of them were synthesized using various petroleum-based chemicals with external blowing agents or high temperatures. Due to the increasing concern about the depletion of fossil reserves and greenhouse gas emissions, biobased polymers attract the attention of scientists in recent times. In our work, we report a new approach for the synthesis of novel room temperature crosslinked and self-blown biobased non-isocyanate polyurethane foams, via simultaneous aminolysis and decarboxylation reaction. The polymer network is formed based on the amine’s reaction with cyclic carbonate, and an in-situ blowing agent (CO2) is generated from thiol’s reaction with Cyclic carbonate. This novel and solvent-free approach offer a practical alternative to the conventional isocyanate pathway, with its amazing diversity and accessibility of the formulation's essential ingredients. It may also pave the way for the development of more environmentally friendly PU foams.
