Scientists develop greener polyurethane materials

Polyurethane is a common plastic with applications ranging from sprayable foams and adhesives to synthetic clothing fibers.
It has become the main product of the 21st century, adding convenience, comfort and even beauty to many aspects of daily life
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? This material is currently mainly made from petroleum by-products, and its unique versatility makes polyurethane the preferred plastic for a series of products
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Today, more than 16 million tons of polyurethane are produced globally each year
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? "There are very few places in our lives where polyurethane does not exist," Phil Pienkos said
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He is a chemist who has recently retired from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) after nearly 40 years of research
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? But Phil Pienkos' career has been researching new methods of producing biofuels and materials
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He said that people are increasingly inclined to rethink the way polyurethane is produced
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"The current methods mainly rely on toxic chemicals and non-renewable petroleum.
We want to develop a new plastic that has all the useful properties of traditional polyurethane, but does not produce expensive environmental side effects
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"? Is it possible? The result of the laboratory is positive
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? Through a new chemical method that utilizes non-toxic resources such as linseed oil, waste oils, and even algae, Phil Pienkos and his NREL colleague and chemical engineering expert Tao Dong developed a pioneering renewable polyurethane without toxic precursors Sexual methods
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? This is a breakthrough that has the potential to make the market for footwear, automobiles, mattresses and other products green
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? However, in order to understand the significance of this achievement, it is helpful to look back at how scientific progress was made.
A story from the chemical basis of traditional polyurethane to the algae laboratory is helpful, where a new chemical concept first appeared.
, And gradually developed into a new corporate partnership, creating good conditions for commercialization prospects
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? Chemical issues? When polyurethane was first commercialized in the 1950s, it quickly became popular in many products and applications
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This is largely due to the dynamic and adjustable properties of this material, as well as the availability and affordability of the petroleum-based ingredients used to make this material
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? By using the ingenious chemical process of polyols and isocyanates, the basic components of traditional polyurethane manufacturers can customize their formulations to produce a variety of polyurethane materials, each with unique and useful properties
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? For example, production with long-chain polyols may produce soft foam, which can be used for pillows and soft mattresses
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Another formula may produce a liquid that, when applied to furniture, both protects and reveals the inherent beauty of wood grain
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The third batch may include carbon dioxide (CO2) to expand the material to produce a sprayable foam that dries into a hard and porous insulation material, which is ideal for keeping warm at home
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? "This is the beauty of isocyanate," Tao Dong said when reflecting on traditional polyurethane, "it can form foam
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"? But Tao Dong said that isocyanate also brings obvious negative effects
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Although these chemicals have a fast reaction rate, making them highly adaptable to many industrial applications, they are also highly toxic, and they are produced from the more toxic raw material phosgene
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When isocyanates are inhaled, they can cause a series of adverse health effects, such as skin, eye and throat irritation, asthma and other serious lung problems
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? "If products containing traditional polyurethane are burned, these isocyanates will volatilize and be released into the atmosphere
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Even simply spraying polyurethane as an insulating material will atomize the isocyanate, which requires workers to take careful precautions to protect Your own health
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" Phil Pienkos added
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? In order to solve these and other problems, such as relying on petrochemical products, scientists from laboratories around the world began to find new ways to use biological resources to synthesize polyurethane
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But these efforts have largely produced mixed results
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Some products lack the performance required for industrial applications
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Others cannot be completely regenerated
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? Therefore, the challenge of improving polyurethane is still at a good time for innovation
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? "We can do better," he thought five years ago when Phil Pienkos first encountered difficulties
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Motivated by this opportunity, he worked with Tao Dong and Lieve Laurens also from NREL to find better polyurethane chemistry
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? Rethinking the components of polyurethane? The idea stems from a seemingly unrelated laboratory problem: reducing the cost of algae biofuels
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Like many traditional petrochemical refining processes, biofuel refineries are also looking for ways to use the by-products of their processes as a source of income
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? For algae biological purification, the problem becomes very similar
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Can the oils and amino acids produced from this process become the raw materials of a renewable and non-toxic polyurethane formulation? ? For Tao Dong, answering this question at the basic chemistry level is the easiest part they can certainly do
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Scientists in the 1950s have proved that it is possible to synthesize polyurethane from a non-isocyanate route
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Tao Dong said that the real challenge is how to speed up the reaction and compete with traditional craftsmanship
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He needs to produce polymers with properties at least as good as traditional materials, which is the main technical obstacle to the commercialization of bio-based polyurethanes
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? "The non-isocyanate biological reaction process described in the literature has a slower reaction speed," Tao Dong explained.
Therefore, we need to ensure that our reactivity is comparable to traditional chemistry
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The NREL process overcomes obstacles and develops a bio-based formula through an ingenious chemical process
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It starts with an epoxidation process, which can prepare base oils, from rapeseed oil or linseed oil to algae or food residues.
, In order to carry out further chemical reactions
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By reacting these epoxidized fatty acids with carbon dioxide in the air or flue gas, carbonized monomers are generated
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Finally, during the polymerization process, Tao Dong combines carbonized monomers with diamines (amino acids from another bio-based source) to form a resin-based non-isocyanate polyurethane material
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? By substituting selected natural oils for petroleum-based polyols and bio-based amino acids for toxic isocyanates, Dong successfully synthesized polymers with performance comparable to traditional polyurethanes
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In other words, he has developed a viable, renewable, non-toxic alternative to traditional polyurethane
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? And this chemical substance has an additional environmental benefit
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? "30% of the weight of the final polymer is carbon dioxide.
Considering the carbon dioxide absorbed by plants or algae to make oils and amino acids, this figure is even more impressive
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" Phil Pienkos said
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? Carbon dioxide is a ubiquitous greenhouse gas, which is generally regarded as a useless waste in various industrial processes, prompting many companies to find ways to absorb and eliminate carbon dioxide, and even use it as a potential source of profit
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Phil Pienkos and Tao Dong provided a way to increase the value of polyurethane by adding carbon dioxide to its structure
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? "This means fewer raw materials per pound of polymer, lower costs, and a lower overall carbon footprint
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In our view, this will provide a significant opportunity for sustainable development
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" Phil Pienkos continued
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? Renewable energy solutions have found its commercial foothold? The next step is to see whether this process can be commercialized and scaled up to meet market needs
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? After all, whether it is renewable or not, polyurethane needs to demonstrate consumer expectations for brand-name products
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The process of manufacturing new materials must also match the company's manufacturing process so that they can "invest" in new materials without having to make expensive upgrades to facilities or equipment
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? "This is why we need to work with industry partners to ensure that our research is consistent with their manufacturing processes
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Tao Dong explains
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? In just two years after Phil Pienkos and Tao Dong first demonstrated the feasibility of producing fully renewable, non-toxic polyurethane, several companies have contributed resources and research partnerships to its commercialization
? For example, a 2020 technology commercialization fund award from the U.
S.
Department of Energy brought in $730,000 in federal funds to help develop this technology, as well as outdoor apparel company Patagonia, mattress company Tempur Sealy, and a company "In-kind" cost sharing for a start-up biotechnology company called Algix
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? Phil Pienkos said that companies in other industries have also shown initial interest
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"These companies think this is promising
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"
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Part of the reason they are interested may be the tunability of the method of Phil Pienkos and Tao Dong, which allows them to manufacture polymers that meet industry standards like traditional methods
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? "We have proven this chemistry The response is adjustable, and we can control the final performance through our methods
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Tao Dong said
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? For example, by controlling the epoxidation process or the amount of carbonization, the process can be adapted to meet the performance requirements of the product
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In this way, the outsole of a pair of running shoes has enough elasticity and strength to withstand high temperatures.
Or driving for miles on low-temperature asphalt
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Or it can give the mattress a balance of stiffness and support
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? "This is a regulatory push
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There is market attractiveness
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It may compete with non-renewable energy sources on a cost basis
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It has a lower carbon footprint
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"Phil Pienkos said of commercialization opportunities: "This has become the most exciting aspect of my NREL career
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So when I retired, I decided to achieve this goal
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I hope to see this technology really enter the market
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After retiring in April last year, Phil Pienkos established a company called Polaris Renewables to help accelerate the commercialization of new polyurethanes
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Therefore, as he continues to perform his duties as a retired researcher at NREL, he is also expanding the industry to Looking for more business partners, especially through the International Sustainable Development Initiative to find more partners in the fashion industry
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? He explained: "In the fashion industry, customers demand sustainable development
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"If you can show a lower carbon footprint and better end-of-life disposal capabilities, they will pay a certain green premium
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" In fact, for Pienkos and Dong, the breakthrough of renewable non-toxic polyurethane is not only It's just an exciting scientific adventure
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Leave a smaller environmental footprint on the product
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? Tao Dong said: "I think this is a good opportunity to solve the problem of plastic pollution, we need to protect our environment, part of which is to start with the recycling of plastics
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" Pienkos also believes that this business may be successful in business.
It is a catalyst that can stimulate the company's further development and achieve further success in bringing renewable, more environmentally friendly products to the market
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? "This may be a successful case of NREL.
The success here is of great significance to the world
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"? In this case, the measure of success may not only be the sustainability of the production process or the carbon absorption of the polyurethane chemistry
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In a world with NREL's renewable, non-toxic polyurethane, the real reason for success may be what we really feel in terms of the durability of the clothing, the comfort of the shoes or the rejuvenation after sleeping on a memory foam mattress
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