Influence of Glycols on the Glycolysis Process and the Structure and Properties of Polyurethane Elastomers

In this work, the influence of glycols on the glycolysis process and the properties of obtained polyurethanes were investigated. The glycolysates were produced via glycolysis of waste polyurethane foam in the reaction with one of the following glycols: 1,3-propanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, and 1,6-hexanediol.The reactions were carried out for different mass ratios of polyurethane wastes to glycolysis agent, i.e. 6:1, 8:1, and 10:1. Polyurethanes were synthesized from the obtained intermediates by a one-step method of mixing polymeric di-isocyanate and the glycolysis products with molecular masses ranging from 700 to 1000, while a polyol (Poles 55/20) was used as a chain elongation agent. The influence of glycolysates on tensile strength and elongation at break of polyurethanes was investigated using a Zwick universal tensile tester. Thermal decomposition of the obtained glycolysates and polyurethanes was investigated by thermogravimetry coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It has been found that of all used glycols, 1,6-hexanediol gives the best improvement in the thermal stability of polyurethanes during the glycolysis process. The mean hardness of polyurethanes decreases but rebound resilience increases with chain length of the glycol used for obtaining glycolysates.