POLYURETHANE

Prepared by :
ASERSOU Haitam
AMINE Rim
AFKIR Kawtar
 PLAN
I. Introduction
II. Impacts of Polyurethanes
III.Solutions of the problem
IV.Conclusion
 I-INRODUCTION
 1-Definition:

Polyurethanes are polymers whose main chain is composed of aliphatic or aromatic sections, R
and R′ , linked by groups urethanes

Formula of a linear polyurethane.

 WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

 the demand for polyurethane is continually growing.

 Do these products threaten the environment and

human health ?

 how can we treat these products ?

 Are they recyclable ?

Polyurethane demand worldwide from 2012 to 2024

https://www.statista.com/statistics/747004/polyurethane-demand-worldwide/
 CRITICAL POLYURETHANE WASTE

 Polyurethane waste is problematic as numerous hazardous

chemicals, such as isocyanates, hydrocyanic acid, and dioxins, are
released when these materials are incinerated.
 Polyurethane products deposited into landfills also decompose
into hazardous, environment-damaging substances.
 To add to this, recycling polyurethane is very difficult and energy
intensive, as most polyurethanes are thermosetting polymers that
do not melt when heated.
 II-THE IMPACTS OF POLYURETHANES
• Many adverse effects have been attributed to the exposure to chemicals and additives
like PUs released from plastics into the water, food, and products consumed by
humans.
On the • Some of the effects of plastic consumption include birth defects, cancers, impaired
environment immunity, developmental and reproductive effects, and endocrine disruption.

• The production of PUs is a concern because of some of the toxic substances that are
associated with it.
on Human • These materials are capable of affecting the environment, including soil and aquatic
Beings and bodies .
• PUs are cheaper for some processes, but they are documented to have deleterious
Their Health: impacts on the environment, including soil quality and properties.

(PDF) Environmental Impact of Polyurethane Chemistry. Available from:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351811523_Environmental_Impact_of_Polyurethane_Chemistry
 III-SOLUTIONS
Polyurethane is recycled in several ways

Type of recycling

Physical
Thermochemical Chemical
(Mechanical)

Nikje, Mir Mohammad Alavi, Amir Bagheri Garmarudi, et Azni B. Idris. « Polyurethane Waste Reduction and Recycling: From Bench to Pilot Scales ». Designed Monomers and
Polymers 14, no 5 (janvier 2011): 395‑421. https://doi.org/10.1163/138577211X587618
1. Physical recycling :

 Currently, PU waste is subjected to mechanical recycling, which involves

reducing it to pellets or powder for subsequent use as a filler or additive in
other products. This treatment results in low-value materials. Because of this,
current recycling rates are very low, at around 10%, and the majority ends up
in landfill.
 Physical recycling essentially consists of regrinding, rebinding, adhesive
pressing, injection molding and compress molding.
 Grinding PU wastes into powders and then re-using these powders in various
ways constitutes a mechanical recycling approach.
2. Thermochemical Recycling:

 In the thermochemical recycling of PU products, it is tried to use the waste

stream as a source of energy, fuel or some value monomers.
o Pyrolysis: Is one of the recycling methods for PU wastes. Pyrolysis uses a heated, oxygen-
free environment to pyrolysis of plastics into gases and mixture of monomers.
o Gasification: This recycling method is useful for mixed waste streams, and consists of an
exothermic process which would produce heat, ashes and gas (synthesis gas).
o Hydrogenation: Hydrogenation is defined as a compromise between pyrolysis and
gasification methods. The effect of heat and high-pressure H2 results in gaseous and liquid
products.
3. Chemical Recycling:

 The main goal in the chemical recycling is the recovering of monomers as

the main products of urethane bonds breaking down under controlled
reaction conditions. This goal can be achieved using main chemical
recycling methods, namely, hydrolysis, aminolysis and glycolysis as the old
methods and nowadays some modified processes:
o Hydrolysis: Recycling of PU wastes by hydrolysis started during the 1970s in the USA.
Hydrolysis is the reaction of PU with water, producing both polyols and amine-based
products
o Aminolysis: Aminolysis is the reaction of PU waste with amines such as dibutylamine,
ethanolamine, lactam or lactam adduct under pressure at elevated temperatures. In this
process potassium and sodium hydroxide are the main catalysts.
o Glycolysis: Glycolysis is the most widely used chemical recycling method for PU wastes.
This method was developed during 1980s. The main aim of this process is the recovering
of the valued monomers, namely, polyols from waste PU, for the production of new
material.
 Biological Degradation:

Microbial degradation of polyurethanes is dependent on the many properties of

the polymer such as molecular orientation, crystallinity, cross-linking and
chemical groups present in the molecular chains which determine the
accessibility to degrading-enzyme systems.
Involves 2 classes of enzymes belonging to the esterase and protease families.
(both membrane-bound and extracellular)
Microbial degradation of polyester polyurethane is hypothesized to be mainly
due to the hydrolysis of ester bonds by these esterase enzymes.
Enzymes: human neutrophil elastase and porcine pancreatic elastase.
Bacteria: Delftia acidovorans TB-35 (Polyester), Staphylococcus
epidermidis(Polyether)
Fungi: Aspergillus terreus (Polyester), Chaetomium globosum( Polyether).
 IV-CONCLUSION
 Recycling of PU is motivated in order to minimize wastes and reduce environmental pollution.
 Trends in PU recycling research are increasing, because of the lack of economic efforts for
recyclate marketing.
 Until reasonable markets for PU waste materials can be created the final destination for most
PU wastes will be landfill.
 By means of recycling and as its main aim is to recover polyols from waste PU, it is possible
to produce new materials and it is noticeable that this process can reduce environmental
pollution and affect job creation for human resources.
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION