Impact of Various Catalysts on Transesterification of Used Cooking Oil and Foaming Processes of Polyurethane Systems

The search for new sources of raw materials that can be used in the synthesis of polyurethanes and other polymer groups is extremely important. Currently, according to the principles of green chemistry and a circular economy, waste materials with a high reuse potential are being sought. This article presents a way of obtaining used-cooking-oil-based compounds capable of participating in the reaction of polyurethane creation. The transesterification reaction can be carried out using a variety of homo- and heterogeneous acid or base catalysts. Here, we looked at the impact of selected catalysts on the course of transesterification reactions, the composition of the post-reaction mixture and the possibility of using the products in polyurethane foam synthesis. The raw materials and the products were analyzed by means of gel permeation chromatography, FTIR spectroscopy and 1H NMR. The polyurethane foam formation process was analyzed using a FOAMAT® apparatus.