Metathesized palm oil polyol for the preparation of improved bio-based rigid and flexible polyurethane foams

• Metathesized palm (PMTAG) oil polyol is used to prepare PU foams.
• Both the rigid and the flexible foams displayed high thermal stability.
• Strength of PMTAG rigid foams (2.6 MPa) higher than that of palm and soybean oils.
• PMTAG flexible foams displayed recovery in thickness higher than 90%.

Polyols derived from 1-butene cross metathesized palm oil (PMTAG polyol) were used to prepare improved rigid and flexible foams. The chemical structure, thermal degradation, thermal transition behavior and compressive strength of the foams were determined using FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), TGA (Thermogravimetric analysis), DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) and texture analyzer, respectively. Their cellular structure was investigated by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). Both the rigid and the flexible foams from the metathesized palm oil polyol displayed high thermal stability (Ton of degradation of ∼253 °C) comparable to commercial and other vegetable oil polyol foams. The rigid foams from the polyol of PMTAG presented compressive strengths as high as 2.6 MPa, a value higher than similar foams prepared from palm oil polyol or highly unsaturated vegetable oils such soybean and canola oil based polyols. The flexible foams from the metathesized palm oil polyol displayed excellent flexibility with more than 90% recovery in thickness after compression.

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