New polyurethanes from vegetable oil-based polyols

Identifier:  TDX:893

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX893

Authors:  Río Nieto, Enrique del

Abstract:
Polyurethanes are one of the most important polymeric materials, and exhibit versatile properties suitable for use in many fields. However, the synthesis of polyurethanes from renewable resources is still an important challenge for scientists. In the search for green routes for polyurethanes, fats and oils offer important alternatives for the production of polyols, thus enable substitute petrochemicals. In this thesis, polyurethanes with good mechanical and shape-memory properties have been synthesized. Three different ways have been exploited to obtain polyols from vegetable oil derivatives: Polyols obtained by ring opening polymerization of epoxidized methyl oleate and reduction of the ester groups. Two different families of polyols have been synthesized by metathesis polymerization of castor oil-based monomers. Polyoxazoline-polyols were achieved by ring opening polymerization of fatty acid-based oxazolines and functionalization of the obtained polyoxazolines by thiol-ene coupling with mercaptoethanol.