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Polyurethane Recycling Methods
Release time:
2014-02-11
Polyurethane is used in a variety of applications, including soft foams, rigid foams, reaction-injection-molded (RIM) elastomers, cast elastomers, as well as shoe soles, adhesives, coatings, sealants, and more. Among these applications, foams account for the vast majority, and within foams, soft foams make up the largest share.
Soft foam is primarily used for shock absorption in furniture, mattress cores, the backing layers of carpets, car seat cushions, and shock-absorbing packaging, among other applications.
Rigid foam is primarily used for insulation purposes. As an insulating laminate in building construction, it can be combined with flexible materials such as paper or aluminum foil, or with rigid materials like aluminum or steel sheets. It is also widely used in refrigerators, freezers, and other similar appliances, as well as in industrial thermal insulation applications. Additionally, it finds uses in packaging and transportation.
RIM products are primarily used in the automotive industry, including dashboards, bumpers, body panels, and standard windows. They are also employed in agricultural equipment, mining machinery, equipment housings, and sporting goods. Polyurethane castings are mainly used for industrial tires, roller skate wheels, printer rollers, conveyor belts, pumps, and similar applications.
All soft foam waste can be used as the backing layer for re-adhesive carpets. After being separated and purified, the soft foam is cut into fragments of a specific size. These foam fragments are coated with an adhesive—a polyurethane made from toluene diisocyanate (TDI) or diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) combined with polyether polyols—at a dosage ranging from 10% to 20% of the foam’s weight. After adding a catalyst and thoroughly mixing the components, the mixture is placed into molds, compressed, and then cured under heat and pressure. Depending on the level of pressure applied, molded products of varying densities—from 40 to 100 kg/m³—can be produced. Another method of utilizing foam involves grinding the soft foam into a fine powder at low temperatures, after which the powder is mixed with polyols at a ratio ranging from 15% to 20% relative to the polyol’s weight. The resulting slurry of polyols and foam powder is then combined with an isocyanate and processed into foam using standard foam-processing equipment. By precisely controlling the amounts of catalyst and isocyanate, high-performance foams can be produced that match the performance characteristics of foams made from virgin materials.
In addition, polyurethane can be subjected to alcoholysis, hydrolysis, pyrolysis, and other processes to recover polyols and related raw materials. Methods include steam hydrolysis, diol alcoholysis, and pyrolysis.
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