Biobased Polyols for Industrial Polymers [Hardcover]

The replacement of polyols synthesized from petrochemical by polyols originating from natural products, notably from vegetable oils and animal fats, has been the subject of research projects for a number of decades.

Very recently, however, the polymers industry has intensified its efforts to include the green products , such as biobased polyols, in applications already available in the market. Examples of such applications include polyurethane foams, elastomers and epoxides.

This book describes the extraction of the natural constituents of several fruits and plants as well as their chemical conversion to polyols. In addition to the chemistry involved in the process, particular emphasis is attributed to their applications.

Preface xi

1 Vegetable Oils, Animal Fats, Carbohydrates and Polyols 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Sustainability 3

1.3 Polyols from Vegetable Oils 5

1.3.1 Polyols from Triglycerides 5

1.3.2 Polyols from Glycerol 10

1.4 Polyols from Carbohydrates 12

1.4.1 Ligno-Cellulosics 12

1.4.2 Cellulose 12

1.4.2.1 Hydrolysis 13

1.4.2.2 Oxidative Degradation 13

1.4.2.3 Thermal Degradation 14

1.4.3 Hemicellulose 14

1.4.4 Lignin 15

1.4.5 Sucrose 16

1.4.6 Starch 19

1.4.6.1 Glucose 19

1.4.6.2 Sorbitol 20

References 22

2 Polyurethanes, Polyesters and Epoxies 25

2.1 Introduction 25

2.2 Polyurethanes 25

2.2.1 Rigid Foams 25

2.2.1.1 Isocyanates 26

2.2.1.2 Polyols 26

2.2.2 Flexible Foams 2ls»