Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-17-2024

Abstract

Polyurethanes (PUs) are defined as synthetic copolymers prepared using polyols and polyisocyanates. They have a wide range of applications in a variety of products, such as furniture, medical equipment, packaging, foams, coatings, elastomers, and adhesives. Out of all these, one of the most significant commercial products is polyurethane foams (PUFs). However, most of the raw materials used for PUFs production originate from non-renewable sources and due to their highly porous nature, these foams are highly flammable. It is considered essential to combine bio-based components to produce polyurethanes with good flame retardancy. Thus, introducing halogen-free flame retardant is a primary requirement to synthesize PUFs. In this research work, soybean oil (SO) was chemically modified into soybean oil polyol (SOP) through epoxidation and ring-opening reactions. The synthesized chemicals were characterized using FT-IR, GPC, viscosity, and hydroxyl value. Also, three different halogen-free flame retardants (FRs) were introduced to reduce the flammability of PUFs. Melamine (MA), ODOPM-CYC, and DOPO (9, 10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide) were used as flame-retardants in this study. Different amounts of FRs were added to the RPUFs to evaluate their effect on PUFs properties. Physical, thermal, morphological, and mechanical properties were evaluated. Results showed a decreasing trend in burning time after the addition of an increasing amount of FRs in PUFs. The lowest flame duration of 5.1 seconds and weight loss of 1.28% were observed for foam containing ODOPM-CYC as FRs.

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