Study Of Environmentally Friendly Polyurethane Foam Material

This thesis focuses on biodegradable polyurethane foam (BPUF) based on liquefied polyol of natural abandoned corn cob materials for the sake of protecting our environment and saving resources.Liquefaction of corn cob was studied in the presence of a poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG400),ethylene glycol, sulfuric acid. The effects of reaction time and temperature, catalysts, solvents on the liquefaction were investigated by orthogonal design test. It was found that temperature is one of the main factors for the liquefaction. Liquefied products had high yield(>90%) under the optimal condition, and their viscosity(1000 mPa ·s~1500 mPa · s ) and hydroxy value (340mgKOH/g~ 360mgKOH/g) were satisfied for polyurethane foams. Molecular structure of the liquefied polyol(LP) was analyzed via Infrared Absorption Spectrum, and the conclusion was proven to be a kind of compound with polyhydroxyl, glucosedic and ether link.A biodegradable polyurethane foam (BPUF) from liquefied polyol was successfully prepared by using water as vesicant in one step method. It was found that the LP has the significant influence on the properties of the resulting foams, and the addition of natural cellulose could improve heat resistance of BPUF by thermogravimetric analysis(TGA). As a result, the foam was found, to some extent, to be biodegradable according the soil test.