Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093-0358, USA.
Molecules. 2022 Jul 30;27(15):4885. doi: 10.3390/molecules27154885.
To realize the commercialization of sustainable materials, new polymers must be generated and systematically evaluated for material characteristics and end-of-life treatment. Polyester polyols made from renewable monomers have found limited adoption in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) applications, and their broad adoption in manufacturing may be possible with a more detailed understanding of their structure and properties. To this end, we prepared a series of bio-based crystalline and amorphous polyester polyols utilizing azelaic acid and varying branched or non-branched diols. The prepared polyols showed viscosities in the range of 504-781 cP at 70 °C, with resulting TPUs that displayed excellent thermal and mechanical properties. TPUs prepared from crystalline azelate polyester polyol exhibited excellent mechanical properties compared to TPUs prepared from amorphous polyols. These were used to demonstrate prototype products, such as watch bands and cup-shaped forms. Importantly, the prepared TPUs had up to 85% bio-carbon content. Studies such as these will be important for the development of renewable materials that display mechanical properties suitable for commercially viable, sustainable products.
为了实现可持续材料的商业化，必须生成新的聚合物，并对其材料特性和使用寿命处理进行系统评估。由可再生单体制成的聚酯多元醇在热塑性聚氨酯 (TPU) 应用中应用有限，如果对其结构和性能有更深入的了解，它们在制造中的广泛应用是有可能的。为此，我们利用壬二酸和不同支化或非支化二醇制备了一系列基于生物的结晶和无定形聚酯多元醇。所制备的多元醇在 70°C 时的粘度在 504-781 cP 范围内，得到的 TPU 显示出优异的热性能和机械性能。与由无定形多元醇制备的 TPU 相比，由结晶壬二酸聚酯多元醇制备的 TPU 表现出优异的机械性能。这些材料被用于演示原型产品，如手表带和杯形制品。重要的是，所制备的 TPU 的生物碳含量高达 85%。此类研究对于开发具有适合商业可持续产品的机械性能的可再生材料将是重要的。
