Overview of Bio-based Polyether Polyols

With dwindling petrochemical resources, the urgent need for environmental protection and the continued rise in the price of petrochemical products, the development of soybean oil, castor oil and palm oil-based polyether polyols has become a research hotspot.

Soybean oil polyether polyol

Compared with traditional polyether polyols, polyols prepared from soybean oil have a special structure with a long carbon chain and a large degree of branching. This structure determines the downstream products of soybean oil-based polyols to be more advantageous in terms of water resistance and low swelling, which can be immersed in water for a long time without deformation.In addition, as soy oil polyols are more functional, their glass transition temperature is higher than that of traditional petrochemical-based polyether polyols, and the reaction produces downstream products that are more cross-linked and more thermally stable. Soybean oil polyols are cheaper and the polymerised products are also biodegradable. Soybean oil polyols have similar properties to conventional petrochemical-based polyether polyols, even with superior properties in terms of density, strength and durability.Its versatility and environmental friendliness make it a potential replacement for traditional polyether polyols in a wide range of applications including flexible foams and rigid foams, coatings, adhesives and sealants elastomers(CASE POLYOL).

Palm oil polyols

Palm oil polyether polyol is a kind of bio-based polyether polyol, which can replace petroleum-based polyether polyol and is widely used in the production of refrigerators, insulation panels, spray foam, lightweight roofing, marine materials, automotive interior accessories, high elasticity sponges, adhesives and so on. It can not only effectively improve and enhance the new energy of foam, but also reduce the raw material cost to different degrees and enhance the market competitiveness and share of polyether products.

Researchers in Malaysia, the world's largest producer of palm oil, have modified palm oil to produce a range of palm oil polyols. The production of this natural oil polyol is energy efficient, non-hazardous and waste-free, making the process cheaper, more efficient and environmentally friendly. The range of palm oil polyols developed by Maskimi Polyol SDN BHD, called "Natural Oil Polyols" (NOP), is a typical product of palm oil polyols.

Olive oil polyol

The Brazilian company EDB has developed an olive oil polyol, the Envilopol series, with typical specifications of 250-450 mgKOH/g hydroxyl value and 500-250 mPa-s viscosity (25°C), which can be used to prepare rigid and flexible foams.

Castor oil polyol

The hydroxyl terminus of castor oil polyol reacts with isocyanate(like MDI) to produce polyester polyols, which is reproducible, has good compatibility in two-component systems, is flexible at low temperatures, has high heat resistance, is resistant to water absorption, has a short curing time and has reduced mechanical decay. It can be used in the formulation of soft adhesives and elastomers and is particularly suitable for the production of abrasion resistant coatings, flexible adhesives, soft sealants and elastomers. It is of high practical value in industries with high requirements for electronic encapsulation, lipophilic, high temperature cooking laminating adhesives and water resistance.

The new polyol line at Vertellus Performance Materials in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, produces the Polycin GR range of products using castor oil as a raw material for the production of polyols.The reduction in the number of hydroxyl groups of Polycin GR polyols from 340 to 35 and the reduction in functionalities from 2.9 to 2 means that the hardness of polyurethanes made from natural polyols changes from 75 hardness D to 10 hardness A (softer than rubber) and the tensile strength is reduced from >6000 Lb/in2 to 50 Lb/in2.The main component of ricinol (C18) contained in Polycin GR products is insensitive to moisture and its water absorption is six times less than that of polyether polyols.

BASF has developed and commercialised a polyol containing 31% castor oil as a raw material under the trade name Lupranol Balance 50 for the production of soft foams for mattress pads and furniture. The product was developed using BASF's proprietary catalyst technology, thus avoiding the production of foul-smelling by-products in the production of polyols from castor oil.

Fluorinated polyether polyols

Compared to conventional hydroxy polyethers, fluorinated polyether polyols can be used to prepare polymers with excellent properties such as heat resistance, UV light resistance, weather resistance, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, solvent resistance, oil and water repellency, self-cleaning and self-lubrication.Its products have the general characteristics of polyurethane: high strength, high elasticity, high abrasion resistance, excellent low temperature performance and bonding properties; at the same time, it has the excellent properties of fluorinated polymers such as heat resistance, UV light resistance, weather resistance, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, solvent resistance, oil and water resistance, and self-cleaning.It can be widely used in modern high-end technologies such as heavy-duty anti-corrosion coatings, marine anti-fouling coatings, aircraft skins, radomes, solar cells and medicine and hygiene, and therefore has a variety of potential applications and development prospects.

Ausimont has developed the first synthesis of a fluorinated polyether diol PFPE under the industrial names Fomblin Z-DOL (structure HOCH2CF2O(CF2CF2O)p(CF2O)qCF2CH2OH) and Fomblin Z-DOL TX (structure H(OCH2CH2)nOCH2CF2O(C2F4O)p(CF2O)qCF2CH2O(CH2CH2O)nH).PFPE has low Tg, solubility parameters, surface energy and high thermal and oxidative stability and chemical inertness, its introduction into PU will result in a significant increase in material durability and will also give PU high mechanical properties, special surface composition and properties (low energy, anti-fouling surface), high fluorine content to protect the surface properties of the material (chemical inertness and weathering properties).