The influence of the NCO/OH ratio and the 1,6-hexanediol/dimethylol propionic acid molar ratio on the properties of waterborne polyurethane dispersions based on 1,5-pentamethylene diisocyanate

An effective purification of double-effect distillation for bio-based pentamethylene diisocyanate

Bio-based pentamethylene diisocyanate (PDI) is a new type of sustainable isocyanate, which has important applications in coatings, foams, and adhesives. Technical-economic analysis of the PDI distillation process can promote the industrialization of PDI. The thermal analysis of PDI facilitates the smooth running of the simulation process. A new PDI heat capacity prediction method was established. The distillation processes of a crude PDI solution by conventional distillation and double-effect distillation were studied. Countercurrent double-effect distillation showed the best energy-saving effects in all double-effect distillation. However, combined with total annual charge (TAC), parallel double-effect distillation was the optimal method for PDI purification. Parallel double-effect distillation can significantly reduce the TAC of production PDI, which is 33.39% lower than that of the conventional distillation. The study demonstrates a clear economic incentive for reducing the cost of PDI purification by parallel double-effect distillation.

Sizing down and functionalizing polylactide (PLA) resin for synthesis of PLA-based polyurethanes for use in biomedical applications

Alcoholysis is a promising approach for upcycling postconsumer polylactide (PLA) products into valuable constituents. In addition, an alcohol-acidolysis of PLA by multifunctional 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid (DMPA) produces lactate oligomers with hydroxyl and carboxylic acid terminals. In this work, a process for sizing down commercial PLA resin to optimum medium-sized lactate oligomers is developed at a lower cost than a bottom-up synthesis from its monomer. The microwave-assisted reaction is conveniently conducted at 220-240 °C and pressure lower than 100 psi. The PLA resin was completely converted via alcohol-acidolysis reaction, with a product purification yield as high as 93%. The resulting products are characterized by FTIR, 2D-NMR, ¹H-NMR, GPC, DSC, and XRD spectroscopy. The effects of PLA: DMPA feed ratios and the incorporation of 1,4-butanediol (BDO) on the structures, properties, and particle formability of the alcohol-acidolyzed products are examined. The products from a ratio of 12:1, which possessed optimum size and structures, are used to synthesize PLA-based polyurethane (PUD) by reacting with 1,6-diisocyanatohexane (HDI). The resulting PUD is employed in encapsulating lavender essential oil (LO). Without using any surfactant, stable LO-loaded nanoparticles are prepared due to the copolymer's self-stabilizability from its carboxylate groups. The effect of the polymer: LO feed ratio (1.25-3.75: 1) on the physicochemical properties of the resulting nanoparticles, e.g., colloidal stability (zeta potential > -60 mV), hydrodynamic size (300-500 nm), encapsulation efficiency (80-88%), and in vitro release, are investigated. The LO-loaded nanoparticles show non-toxicity to fibroblast cells, with an IC₅₀ value higher than 2000 µg/mL. The products from this process have high potential as drug encapsulation templates in biomedical applications.

A colorless, transparent and mechanically robust polyurethane elastomer: synthesis, chemical resistance and adhesive properties

In this work, a transparent, mechanically strong and chemically resistant XDI-PUE adhesive was fabricated, which exhibited a remarkable tensile stress of 21.0 MPa with a break strain of 1608%. XDI-PUE also showed good chemical resistance towards toluene and NaOH aqueous solution.

Structure–Properties Relationship in Waterborne Poly(Urethane-Urea)s Synthesized with Dimethylolpropionic Acid (DMPA) Internal Emulsifier Added before, during and after Prepolymer Formation

Dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA) internal emulsifier has been added before, during and after prepolymer formation in the synthesis of waterborne poly(urethane-urea)s (PUDs) and their structure–properties relationships have been assessed. PUDs were characterized by pH, viscosity and particle size measurements, and the structure of the poly(urethane-urea) (PU) films was assessed by infra-red spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, plate–plate rheology and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The adhesion properties of the PUDs were measured by cross-hatch adhesion and T-peel test. The lowest pH value and the highest mean particle size were found in the PUD made by adding DMPA after prepolymer formation, all PUDs showed relatively ample mono-modal particle size distributions. The highest viscosity and noticeable shear thinning were obtained in the PUD made by adding DMPA during prepolymer formation. Depending on the stage of addition of DMPA, the length of the prepolymer varied and the PU films showed different degree of micro-phase separation. Because the shortest prepolymer was formed in the PU made with DMPA added before prepolymer, this PU film showed the lowest storage moduli and early melting indicating higher degree of micro-phase separation. The highest storage modulus, later melting, higher temperature and lower modulus at the cross between the storage and loss moduli corresponded to the PU made by adding DMPA after prepolymer formation, because the longer prepolymer produced during synthesis. The lowest thermal stability corresponded to the PU made by adding DMPA during prepolymer formation and the structures of all PU films were dominated by the soft domains, the main structural differences derived from the hard domains. Whereas DMPA-isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) urethane and urea hard domains were created in the PU film made by adding DMPA during prepolymer formation, the other PU films showed DMPA-IPDI, polyester-IPDI and two different DMPA-IPDI-polyester hard domains. Finally, the adhesion properties of the PUDs and PU coatings were excellent and they were not influenced by the structural differences caused by adding DMPA in different stages of the synthesis.

Sustainable separation of bio-based cadaverine based on carbon dioxide capture by forming carbamate

Cadaverine carbamate, capturing the self-released carbon dioxide from the decarboxylation of l-lysine, is the green and sustainable separation of bio-based cadaverine.