Development of a rigid polyurethane foam from palm oil

The reactions between polymeric diphenyl methane diisocyanate (polymeric MDI) and conventional polyols to produce foamed polyurethane products are well documented and published. Current polyurethane foams are predominantly produced from these reactions whereby the polyol components are usually obtained from petrochemical processes. This article describes a new development in polyurethane foam technology whereby a renewable source of polyol derived from refined–bleached–deodorized (RBD) palm oil is used to produce polyurethane foams. Using very basic foam formulation, rigid polyurethane foams were produced with carbon dioxide as the blowing agent generated from the reaction between excess polymeric MDI with water. The foams produced from this derivatized RBD palm oil have densities in excess of 200 kg/m3 and with compression strengths greater than 1 MPa. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 68: 509–515, 1998