Biomass based polyols and biomass based polyurethane materials as a route towards sustainability

PU is usually prepared by reacting a petroleum-based polyol (polyol polyether or polyol polyester) with isocyanate. By modifying the polyols and the diisocyanates to improve properties of PU. PU can be used in many applications such as PU foam, spandex, polyurethane coatings, adhesives due to its wide range of properties. Although PU has many advantages, the main raw material of PU is petroleum-based materials, which is non-renewable and its biodegradability is poor, causing quite serious environmental problems. PU can be synthesized by combining multiple biological materials such as turpentine, vegetable oil, cellulose, lignin, phenolic and sugar, proteins and starches, etc. These biomass materials have the characteristics of wide sources, low price, large output and no pollution. This paper mainly focuses on recent advances in the synthesis of biomass based polyols and their applications in PU materials. The urgency and significance of replacing petrochemical polyols with bio based polyols are discussed, and the research direction of bio based polyurethane materials in the future is introduced. New opportunities to utilize bio based polyols, as well as new process for synthesizing PU, can drive renewed opportunities to bridge this gap between petroleum based PU and bio PU, while also holding sustainability goals as critical to long-term successful outcomes.