A team of researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany uses carbon dioxide and recycled materials to make polyurethane in a more sustainable way.
The new process also avoids the use of toxic materials called isocyanates, thereby achieving safer production and biocompatibility.
Polyurethane is used as mattress foam, packaging, elastic material for sporting goods, sealant, paint, adhesive, construction foam, etc. It is even used in medical applications, such as for intravenous catheters.
The researchers did not use fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas as a carbon source, but instead used carbon dioxide and polyurethane recycling.
"In this way, we can recycle carbon and ensure that less damaging carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere," said project coordinator Dr. Christoph Herfurth.
The team replaced isocyanates with diurethanes, which are often used with chain extenders and polyols. "The polyurethanes we produce in this way can also be certified for biocompatibility," Dr. Herfurth said.
This process is already in use and requires high pressure and high temperature. Researchers are studying ways to optimize the technology to make it more efficient and industrially feasible, and are committed to developing more sustainable polyurethane foaming agents.
The researchers’ goal is to create three demonstrators to illustrate the various applications of new forms of polyurethane—tubes for medical applications, adhesives for bonding tubes to devices such as catheters, and polyurethane foam. They will highlight their work at the Medica 2021 event in Düsseldorf from November 15th to 18th.
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