Upgrading Sustainable Polyurethane Foam Based on Greener Polyols: Succinic-Based Polyol and Mannich-Based Polyol.

It is well known that the traditional synthetic polymers, such as Polyurethane foams, require raw materials that are not fully sustainable and are based on oil-feedstocks. For this reason, renewable resources such as biomass, polysaccharides and proteins are still recognized as one of the most promising approaches for substituting oil-based raw materials (mainly polyols). However, polyurethanes from renewable sources exhibit poor physical and functional performances.

Greener Nanocomposite Polyurethane Foam Based on Sustainable Polyol and Natural Fillers: Investigation of Chemico-Physical and Mechanical Properties.

Nowadays, the chemical industry is looking for sustainable chemicals to synthesize nanocomposite bio-based polyurethane foams, PUs, with the aim to replace the conventional petrochemical precursors. Some possibilities to increase the environmental sustainability in the synthesis of nanocomposite PUs include the use of chemicals and additives derived from renewable sources (such as vegetable oils or biomass wastes), which comprise increasingly wider base raw materials. Generally, sustainable PUs exhibit chemico-physical, mechanical and functional properties, which are not comparable with those of PUs produced from petrochemical precursors.

Synthesis and characterization of novel cardanol based benzoxazines.

Benzoxazines are a class of phenolic compounds extensively studied in polymer science because of their properties as fiber reinforcements, fire-retardants and curing agents. In this article is described a solvent-less process, based on a Mannich reaction involving a primary amine and an aldehyde, for the preparation of new benzoxazines deriving from cardanol (a well known phenol obtained as a renewable organic resource and harmful by-product of the cashew industry). Particular attention is given to the synthesis and chemical characterization (both by 1H NMR spectroscopy and HPLC), while the thermal polymerization process has been monitored by differential scanning calorimetry.