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Biodegradation of PolyUtherane

Polyurethane is formed by reacting an isocyanate with a polyol. [1] It can be made through a pre-polymer or one-step method. [2] The properties of polyurethane depend on the monomers used, with soft segments making it flexible and crosslinking making it tough. [3] It has applications such as flexible and rigid foams for insulation, medical devices, footwear, and coatings. [4] Biodegradable polyurethanes can be designed by incorporating degradable segments that can be broken down by microbes. [5] Increasing the surface area through micronization or using biodegradable fillers can also enhance the bi

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53 views28 pages

Biodegradation of PolyUtherane

Polyurethane is formed by reacting an isocyanate with a polyol. [1] It can be made through a pre-polymer or one-step method. [2] The properties of polyurethane depend on the monomers used, with soft segments making it flexible and crosslinking making it tough. [3] It has applications such as flexible and rigid foams for insulation, medical devices, footwear, and coatings. [4] Biodegradable polyurethanes can be designed by incorporating degradable segments that can be broken down by microbes. [5] Increasing the surface area through micronization or using biodegradable fillers can also enhance the bi

Uploaded by

hrithik
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

POLYURETHANE

By
Ssmrithi Sethuraman (28) and Hrithik Vora (36)
INTRODUCTION
• Formed by reacting a di- or tri-isocyanate with a polyol. 
• Polyurethanes are produced by reacting an isocyanate(R−(N=C=O)n) with
a polyol (R′−(OH)n) in presence of catalyst.
• Alternating copolymers
PROPERTIES OF
POLYURETHANE
• Influenced by types of monomers used.

• Long, flexible segments by polyol-soft polymer.

• Crosslinking-tough polymers.

• Cross linking-3D network.

• Thermosets
APPLICATIONS
• Biomedical uses
• Flexible foam - upholstered furniture
• Rigid foam -insulation in walls, roofs
• Thermoplastic polyurethane -medical devices, footwear, etc.
• Coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers-floors and automotive interiors
• Offers the elasticity of rubber and toughness and durability of metal
• Available in a very broad hardness range.
• Reduces plant maintenance and OEM product cost
• Cut down in maintenance time and cost of parts
SYNTHESIS OF
POLYURETHANE
•Addition Polymerization

•Proceeds-step-wise mechanism called step- growth polymerization.

•Direct addition requires elevated temperature to keep reactants molten.

•Limited to the synthesis of thermally stable polyurethanes.

•Development of polar aprotic solvents such as dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) and N,N - dimethylformamide (DMF)
-polyaddition of diisoeyanates and diols.

•Thereare two important methods for its preparation:


a) The pre-polymer or two step method
b) The one step method
Pre-Polymer or Two-Step method
One-Step Method
WHY IS PU
BIODEGRADABLE?
• The nature of polyurethanes chemistry is the central point for understanding why
some polyurethanes are non-degradable and other undergo fast degradation.

• Both non-degradable and degradable polyurethanes can be designed through a


proper selection of building segments.

• Non-degradable polyurethanes are characterized by their excellent chemical


stability, abrasion resistance, and mechanical properties.
• It is well known that the biodegradation of polyurethanes depends on their
structure, which is conditioned by several factors such as the nature of the used
polyol.

• Degradable polyurethanes are generally achieved by incorporating labile (easily


broken down) and hydrolysable (decompose by reacting with water) moieties
into polymer chain.

• It has been reported that poly(ester-urethanes) are prone to microbial degradation


due to the presence of ester bonds that are known to be enzymatic hydrolysable
DEGRADATION
• In 1978, studies assessing the anaerobic biodegradability of a plentiful variety of
Polyurethane using a classical waste biodegradability assessment approach were
initiated.

• No significant weight losses were found for a majority of the polyurethanes, with
the exception of polyester-based polyurethanes for which a weight decrease of
30%.

• Assays performed under anaerobic conditions, such as those conducted by Urgun-


Demirtas et al. (2007), revealed that only small changes in mechanical strength,
weight loss, chemical structure and microbial growth occur under anaerobic
conditions.
• Assays used to measure biodegradability indicate that polyurethanes should be more considered
as non-readily biodegradable products.

• Polyester-based polyurethane generally appears sensitive to microbial degradation in aerobic


conditions.

• The scientific community has sought specific microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) that are able
to degrade this class of polymer.

• Bacterial biodegradation that occurs by altering the mechanical resistance of polyurethane foams.

• Fungal attacks are discrete because they only slightly change the properties of polyurethane
foams.
MECHANISM OF
DEGRADATION
INCREASING
BIOAVAILABILITY OF
PU
Immersion
• Immersion of the polyurethane foam blocks would be a convenient approach to increase
microbial adhesion, but it is difficult to efficiently manage the levels of oxygen dissolved in
the tank without disturbing or breaking the immersion system.

• The lack of oxygen management would dramatically affect biodegradation because oxygen
is critical for polyester-based polyurethane biodegradation.
Agitation
• Increasing the agitation rate would help disperse microorganisms across the
polyurethane surface.

• This method has more negatives than positives:


1. The microbial adhesion onto polyurethane surfaces could be inhibited by high agitation rates, which
would limit the biodegradation efficiency .
2. Increasing the agitation rate may inhibit the growth of the microorganisms.
3. High energy consumption is counteractive to the goal of developing an environmentally friendly
method to replace hazardous but cheap processes for polyurethane disposal
Micronisation
• The micronisation of the polymer foam will increase the potential area of contact for the
degraders.

• After micronisation, the surface area of a foam cube 1 cm3 to 10 μm in size is increased by
approximately 300,000-fold and has a surface area of 0.3 cm2compared to 6 m2 for the
untreated cube.

• At this size, the bioavailability of the polyurethanes is increased.


Biodegradable fillers
• Incorporation of biodegradable fillers or biodegradable aliphatic isocyanates can
also enhance biodegradability of polyurethanes and then reduce negative influence
on the environment.
CONCLUSION
Today’s need for simple, energy efficient processing with fast cycle times, coupled
with demands for improved health safety continues to drive developments in
application and biodegradation of Polyutherane which shows huge potential in
negating the ecological harm caused by other non biodegradable polymers.
Citations:

https://
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0964830502000513?via%3Dihub

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769161/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK6422/

Cregut
M, et al, New insights into polyurethane biodegradation and realistic prospects for t
he development of a sustainable waste recycling process
THANK YOU

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