Jatropha Oil-based Polyol for Polyurethane Foam: Effect of Gelling Catalyst on Physical & Mechanical Properties Murni Sundang1, Sariah Saalah1*, Coswald Stephen Sipaut1, Suryani Saallah2
1 Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia
2Biotechnology Research Institure, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia
s_sariah[at]ums.edu.my
Abstract
Polyurethane foam (PUF) is widely used in industries as an insulation material in construction and electrical appliance. However, most PUF is produced from petroleum-based polyols, raising concerns about resource depletion and environmental impact. To address this, bio-based polyols from renewable sources are being explored. In this study, non-edible crude jatropha oil was selected as a raw material to produce polyol and subsequently polyurethane foam. Jatropha oil polyols were synthesised via epoxidation and oxirane ring-opening reactions and confirmed the synthesis using FTIR. These polyols were then reacted with methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, silicone surfactant, water, 1,4-butanediol, and dibutyltin dilaurate as gelling catalyst. The effects of catalyst loading on foam properties were evaluated in terms of density, compressive strength, and cell morphology. The optimum performance was obtained at 0.4 php of catalyst, which produced the highest compressive strength (1200 kPa) and uniform cell structure, while 0.6 php of catalyst resulted in the highest density (371 kilogram per metercube). At low catalyst loading, the properties of foam is weak and porous with less regular cell structures. This clearly shows the catalyst loading play an important role in controlling the quality of polyurethane foam. Optimum catalyst concentrations tended to produce smaller and more uniform cells, improving mechanical performance up to an optimal point. These results demonstrate that jatropha oil-based polyols, with optimised catalyst usage, can produce good-performance, eco-friendly PUF suitable for various industrial applications.
