Green Chemistry & Technology Letters

AJAY VASUDEO RANE (ajayrane2008@gmail.com)

CENTRE FOR GREEN TECHNOLOGY, INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY, MUMBAI

July, 2015

Ajay Vasudeo Rane (M.Tech.) is a Senior Research Fellow at the International and Interuniversity Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, India. He received his M.Tech in 2014 in Green Technology from the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, India. His specialized areas of polymers which include Polymer blends, Fibre filled polymer composites, Particulate filled polymer composites and their morphological characterization, Ageing and degradation, Green Chemistry, Polymer Recycling. He was a Visiting faculty at Government Polytechnic Mumbai, Department of Rubber Technology. He has 16 International and 13 National Publications to his credit, his 5 book chapters are in press.

Abstract

Polyurethanes are chemically complex polymers, usually formed by the reactions of liquid isocyanate components with liquid polyol resin components, the combination of polyether polyols, catalysts, and silicone-based surfactants made possible the so-called one-shot foam technology, which paved the way for commercial quantities of more economic foams with significantly improved physical properties. The major markets are cushioning materials in furniture, bedding, carpet underlay, automotive, and packaging applications and insulation. With the very broad range of available firmness (load-bearing capacity) and resiliency (including also “specialty foams such as semi flexible, semi rigid, and integral skin foams), these foams offer degrees of comfort to humans, Polyurethane foams are thermoset polymers. It is worth emphasizing that no foamed thermoplastics of any kind have yet found use as adequate replacements for flexible/rigid polyurethane foams in practice. While thermosets have not generally been associated with recycling, a lot of recycling of flexible polyurethane foams actually occurs, to conserve and recover as much as possible of the invested energy and other resources. The strategies include material recycling (recovery by foam rebond and regrind processes), chemical recycling (recovery of chemicals by polymer breakdown through hydrolysis, glycolysis, aminolysis), and energy recovery by combustion technologies such as the rotary kiln/fluidized bed and the high temperature gasification processes, but from the techniques mentioned Chemical recycling is the most suitable process specially for condensation polymers and considered as the sustainable process in recycling of Polyurethane foams as monomers and oligomers recovered can be used in preparation of foam and in coating formulations respectively. In present study Polyurethane foam is reacted with an amine in presence of a catalyst and the depolymerised product with hydroxyl and amine groups is further reacted with bis (2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate) [BHET]-obtained by recycling PET and sebacic acid to obtain Polyester amides. These Polyester amides having hydroxyl and amino groups in excess are being cured with isocyanates for coating application. Also PU foam is reacted with alkanolamines in a microwave reactor in presence of a catalyst and the aminolysed product with hydroxyl and amine groups are cured with blocked isocyanates for coating application and later the coating formed in both the cases is evaluated for physical, mechanical and chemical tests. We have also carried out a comparative study between the conventional and microwave systems to depolymerise foam with varying time and microwave powers. References Kouji Kanaya , Shizuo Takahashi, (1994) Vol. 51, 675-682 Dai Soo Lee, Byeong Kim, Song Won Hyun, Journal of Engineering Industrial Chemistry, Volume 7, 6, (2001), 449-453. Saowaroj Chuayjuljit, Chaiwat Norakankorn and Vimolvan Pimpan, Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals.(2002) Vol. 12 No. 1 pp. 19-22. Taro Fukaya, Hiroko Watando, Shinetsu Fujieda, Shioko Saya, Cao Minh Thai, Masaaki Yamamoto, Polymer Degradation and Stability 91 (2006) 2549-2553. Hiroko Watando, Shioko Saya, Taro Fukaya, Shinetsu Fujieda, Masaaki Yamamoto Polymer Degradation and Stability 91 (2006) 3354-3359. Ajay Vasudeo Rane, Mukesh Kathalewar, Vandana Jamdar, V K Abitha, Anagha Sabnis-2015-Sustainability by converting waste polyurethane foam into superior polyurethane urea coatings-Open Access Library Journal-2,e1533 A V Rane, V K Abitha, Shivendra Patil, P Jayaja-2015- A greener and sustainable approach for converting polyurethane foam rejects into superior polyurethane coatings-Chemistry International-1, 184-195