Elastomers and Composites

The Rubber Society of Korea (한국고무학회)
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An Insight Into the Recycling of Waste Flexible Polyurethane Foam Using Glycolysis

  • Woo Seok Jin (Department of Materials Engineering and Convergence Technology, ReCAPT, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Pranabesh Sahu (Department of Materials Engineering and Convergence Technology, ReCAPT, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Gyuri Kim (Department of Materials Engineering and Convergence Technology, ReCAPT, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Seongrok Jeong (Department of Materials Engineering and Convergence Technology, ReCAPT, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Cheon Young Jeon (R&D Center, KPX Chemical Co. Ltd.) ;
  • Tae Gyu Lee (R&D Center, KPX Chemical Co. Ltd.) ;
  • Sang Ho Lee (R&D Center, KPX Chemical Co. Ltd.) ;
  • Jeong Seok Oh (Department of Materials Engineering and Convergence Technology, ReCAPT, Gyeongsang National University)
  • Received : 2023.02.14
  • Accepted : 2023.02.27
  • Published : 2023.03.31
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Abstract

The worldwide use of polyurethane foam products generates large amounts of waste, which in turn has detrimental effects on the surroundings. Hence, finding an economical and environmentally friendly way to dispose of or recycle foam waste is an utmost priority for researchers to overcome this problem. In that sense, the glycolysis of waste flexible polyurethane foam (WFPF) from automotive seat cushions using different industrial-grade glycols and potassium hydroxide as a catalyst to produce recovered polyol was investigated. The effect of different molecular weight polyols, catalyst concentration, and material ratio (PU foam: Glycols) on the reaction conversion and viscosity of the recovered polyols was determined. The obtained recovered polyols are obtained as single or split-phase reaction products. Besides, the foaming characteristics and physical properties such as cell morphology, thermal stability, and compressive stress-strain nature of the regenerated flexible foams based on the recovered polyols were discussed. It was observed that the regenerated flexible foams displayed good seating comfort properties as a function of hardness, sag factor, and hysteresis loss compared to the reference virgin foam. With the growing demand for a sustainable and circular economy, a global valorization of glycolysis products from polyurethane scraps can be realized by transforming them into profitable substances.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Development Fund Foundation of Gyeongsang National University, 2020.

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