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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** POLYURETHANES (PUS) ARE WIDELY USED IN PRODUCTS FOR TRANSPORTATION, CONSTRUCTION, FURNITURE, AND PACKAGING, WITH GLOBAL PRODUCTION EXCEEDING 25 MILLION METRIC TONS ANNUALLY. THE PU MARKET CONTINUES TO GROW, BUT NEARLY ALL PUS ARE MADE FROM PETROLEUM-BASED POLYOLS AND ISOCYANATES. WHILE SOME VEGETABLE OIL-DERIVED POLYOLS HAVE BEGUN TO REPLACE PETROCHEMICAL ONES IN NICHE FOAM PRODUCTS, OTHER BIOBASED POLYOLS REMAIN IN THE RESEARCH PHASE. THE MAIN CHALLENGE IS THAT THESE BIOBASED POLYOLS DO NOT CLOSELY RESEMBLE COMMERCIAL POLYOLS, MAKING THEM LESS EFFECTIVE SUBSTITUTES.ADDITIONALLY, EXPOSURE TO ISOCYANATES DURING MANUFACTURING OF PUS AND RESIDUAL ISOCYANATES IN FINISHED PRODUCTS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES, INCLUDING OCCUPATIONAL ASTHMA, SKIN IRRITATION, AND RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS. SOME ISOCYANATES ARE EVEN SUSPECTED CARCINOGENS. FURTHERMORE, MOST COMMERCIAL PUS ARE THERMOSETTING POLYMERS MADE WITH TRADITIONAL ISOCYANATE PU TECHNOLOGIES, MAKING THEM DIFFICULT TO RECYCLE. AS A RESULT, PU WASTE IS ACCUMULATING IN LANDFILLS, CONTRIBUTING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS.THERE IS A CLEAR NEED TO INNOVATE THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF NEW PU MATERIALS FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES THAT ARE COMPETITIVE IN BOTH PERFORMANCE AND COST, MEET DIVERSE APPLICATION NEEDS, AND ARE RECYCLABLE. DEVELOPING SUCH A TECHNOLOGY IS CRUCIAL FOR ADDRESSING PLASTIC POLLUTION AND SUPPORTING THE TRANSITION TO CIRCULAR ECONOMY, IN LINE WITH FEDERAL INITIATIVES FROM AGENCIES LIKE THE USDA, DOE, EPA AND NSF.IN THIS PROJECT, WE AIM TO CREATE HIGH-PERFORMANCE, EASILY RECYCLABLE, NON-ISOCYANATE POLYURETHANES (NIPUS) USING RENEWABLE FEEDSTOCKS. OUR APPROACH INVOLVES MIMICKING THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF CONVENTIONAL PUS TO PRODUCE RENEWABLE ALTERNATIVES AND INCORPORATING EASILY CLEAVABLE BONDS FOR ENHANCED CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL RECYCLABILITY. WE WILL USE TANNIN DERIVED GALLIC ACID AND LIGNIN DERIVED VANILLIN AND GUAIACOL AS RENEWABLE FEEDSTOCKS TO PREPARE CLEAVABLE ACETAL-CONTAINING POLYAMINES AS RIGID BUILDING BLOCKS, AND RENEWABLE POLYOLS TO CREATE FLEXIBLE LINEAR CYCLIC CARBONATE PREPOLYMERS AS SOFT BUILDING BLOCKS. THESE BUILDING BLOCKS WILL BE COMBINED TO SYNTHESIZE NIPUS THAT CAN BE USED IN RECYCLABLE ELASTOMERS AND FOAMS.

$591,467FY2024National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

Washington State University, Pullman WA

Investigators

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** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** POLYURETHANES (PUS) ARE WIDELY USED IN PRODUCTS FOR TRANSPORTATION, CONSTRUCTION, FURNITURE, AND PACKAGING, WITH GLOBAL PRODUCTION EXCEEDING 25 MILLION METRIC TONS ANNUALLY. THE PU MARKET CONTINUES TO GROW, BUT NEARLY ALL PUS ARE MADE FROM PETROLEUM-BASED POLYOLS AND ISOCYANATES. WHILE SOME VEGETABLE OIL-DERIVED POLYOLS HAVE BEGUN TO REPLACE PETROCHEMICAL ONES IN NICHE FOAM PRODUCTS, OTHER BIOBASED POLYOLS REMAIN IN THE RESEARCH PHASE. THE MAIN CHALLENGE IS THAT THESE BIOBASED POLYOLS DO NOT CLOSELY RESEMBLE COMMERCIAL POLYOLS, MAKING THEM LESS EFFECTIVE SUBSTITUTES.ADDITIONALLY, EXPOSURE TO ISOCYANATES DURING MANUFACTURING OF PUS AND RESIDUAL ISOCYANATES IN FINISHED PRODUCTS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES, INCLUDING OCCUPATIONAL ASTHMA, SKIN IRRITATION, AND RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS. SOME ISOCYANATES ARE EVEN SUSPECTED CARCINOGENS. FURTHERMORE, MOST COMMERCIAL PUS ARE THERMOSETTING POLYMERS MADE WITH TRADITIONAL ISOCYANATE PU TECHNOLOGIES, MAKING THEM DIFFICULT TO RECYCLE. AS A RESULT, PU WASTE IS ACCUMULATING IN LANDFILLS, CONTRIBUTING TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS.THERE IS A CLEAR NEED TO INNOVATE THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF NEW PU MATERIALS FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES THAT ARE COMPETITIVE IN BOTH PERFORMANCE AND COST, MEET DIVERSE APPLICATION NEEDS, AND ARE RECYCLABLE. DEVELOPING SUCH A TECHNOLOGY IS CRUCIAL FOR ADDRESSING PLASTIC POLLUTION AND SUPPORTING THE TRANSITION TO CIRCULAR ECONOMY, IN LINE WITH FEDERAL INITIATIVES FROM AGENCIES LIKE THE USDA, DOE, EPA AND NSF.IN THIS PROJECT, WE AIM TO CREATE HIGH-PERFORMANCE, EASILY RECYCLABLE, NON-ISOCYANATE POLYURETHANES (NIPUS) USING RENEWABLE FEEDSTOCKS. OUR APPROACH INVOLVES MIMICKING THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF CONVENTIONAL PUS TO PRODUCE RENEWABLE ALTERNATIVES AND INCORPORATING EASILY CLEAVABLE BONDS FOR ENHANCED CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL RECYCLABILITY. WE WILL USE TANNIN DERIVED GALLIC ACID AND LIGNIN DERIVED VANILLIN AND GUAIACOL AS RENEWABLE FEEDSTOCKS TO PREPARE CLEAVABLE ACETAL-CONTAINING POLYAMINES AS RIGID BUILDING BLOCKS, AND RENEWABLE POLYOLS TO CREATE FLEXIBLE LINEAR CYCLIC CARBONATE PREPOLYMERS AS SOFT BUILDING BLOCKS. THESE BUILDING BLOCKS WILL BE COMBINED TO SYNTHESIZE NIPUS THAT CAN BE USED IN RECYCLABLE ELASTOMERS AND FOAMS. · GrantIndex