2002 Annual Report
Research
Foams from Modified Soybean Oil
Mrinal Bhattacharya, Professor
Jacob John, Research Associate
Funding Source
Urethane Soy Systems
Objective
The objective of this research is to conduct a systematic study comparing
the reaction kinetics to the morphology of urethane foams made from vegetable
oils.
Project Description
In recent decades, there has been an increased demand for urethane materials.
There are several references that indicate that vegetable oils can be
used as integral parts of urethane materials. Our interest in polyurethanes
stems from the fact that soy oil can be modified to react with isocyanate
to produce urethane products which will add value to the soy oil and decrease
the cost of the system.
Results
The functionalization of soybean oil was carried out using gas phase ozonolysis. The reaction was conducted by bubbling ozone gas through oil at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The experimental conditions, such as ozone concentration and time of contact, were varied to examine the effect of ozonolysis. The products were analyzed using Gas Chromatography (GC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectra. The hydroxyl number values obtained for ozone-treated oil were found to increase significantly. The molecular weights of the ozonated oils were higher than the regular oil, indicating a structural change. GC analysis showed the presence of several small molecules the identification of which was difficult due to the complex nature of virgin oil. Changes in fatty acid concentrations were evaluated. A possible reaction mechanism was also proposed to explain the experimental findings. Results indicate that functionalization of soybean oil can be achieved for use in polymeric intermediates and derivatives in place of petroleum-based intermediates.