Polyurethane Foams Reinforced with Biobased Materials: Properties and Applications

Abstract

Background: Today, polyurethane foams can be found in various commercial products such as bedding, home furniture, automotive interiors and even construction materials. From a chemical point of view, polyurethane foams are made from a chemical reaction between a polyol (molecules with more than one hydroxyl group) and a diisocyanate in the presence of a blowing agent. Objective: Because of their highly stable bonds, polyurethane foams are considered as nondegradable leading to some environmental impact. To address this concern different bio-based fillers have been used to create "greener" polyurethane materials. This review presents an overview of different bio-based fillers and containing natural polyols for polyurethane foams formulation with respect to their natural properties, sizes, geometries and contents. Method: A wide range of bio-based fillers derived from wood and non-wood sources are summarized based on their physico-mechanical properties. Then, possible applications are presented and future trends are discussed for the research and development of these complex (multiphase systems) materials (polymer composite foams). Conclusion: Beside traditional polyurethane foams applications including automotive, building, home furniture and package, bio-based filler addition could bring new feature and widen their applications such as shape memory and medication, as well as oil absorbent.