Fabrication and Testing of Soy-Based Polyurethane Foam with Flame Retardant Properties
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Fabrication and Testing of Soy‑Based Polyurethane Foam with Flame Retardant Properties Gurjot S. Dhaliwal1 · Dilpreet S. Bajwa2 · Sreekala Bajwa3 Accepted: 14 October 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Bio-based foams, particularly soy-based polyurethane, have gained a lot of traction for residential and commercial applications. Since the soy-based foam is widely used as insulation material in the construction industry, it must exhibit superior mechanical, insulation, and fire-retardant properties. In this study, soy-based PU foams were prepared with the addition of nanoclay (Cloisite Na +) in five different concentrations varying from 2 to 10%. The foam was fabricated using 100% soybased polyol. The effects of adding nanoclay were investigated on the thermal, mechanical, and flame retardant properties of the foam. The fabricated foam samples were tested for differences in their morphology due to the addition of nanoclays using a scanning electron microscope. It was observed that with the addition of the nanoclays, the cell size of the foams was reduced and became more uniform. So, significant improvement was found in the mechanical strength of the foam samples. Also, it was observed that adding of nanoclays lead to the formation of a char layer during combustion. The char layer was effective in reducing the rate of burning of the foam by 38%. Overall, it was concluded that the addition of nanoclays resulted in the soy-based PU foam with superior mechanical and flame retardant properties. Keywords Soy-based foam · Polyurethane foam · Flame retardent foam · Nanoclay
Introduction Polyurethane (PU) is one of the most widely used polymeric materials in the world. Due to its easily tunable properties, PU is used in various forms, such as coatings, elastomers, sealants, rigid foams, and flexible foams [1]. Out of the total PU foam synthesized in 2016, 25% was the rigid PU foam, used in construction and insulation applications [2]. Rigid PU foams, compared to traditionally used insulation materials like extruded polystyrene, glass wool, and cellulose, have several advantages, including superior thermal insulation (R-Value), higher rigidity, and moisture barrier [3]. PU is synthesized by step-growth polymerization between isocyanate (di or poly), and hydroxyl-terminated oligomer * Gurjot S. Dhaliwal [email protected] 1
Intertribal Research and Resource Center, United Tribes Technical College, Bismarck, ND 58504, USA
2
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
3
College of Agriculture, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
(polyol) with at least two reactive hydrogen atoms [4]. Precursors needed to make PU are traditionally obtained from petroleum-based non-renewable sources. Due to increasing concerns about global warming and uncertainty in the supply and price of petroleum, there is a push to develop polymeric materials from renewable vegetable-based resources [5]. For th
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