Technical article
Polyurethanes are an extremely flexible category of polymers. They are used to produce materials in a variety of applications from construction and building materials, fridges or freezers, furniture, underlay, footwear, as well as coating systems.
Meeting the need for sustainability and performance
To meet the challenges of sustainability, manufacturers are looking for alternative ways to produce polymers that are traditionally fossil-fuel-based.
By introducing biobased monomers in their process, polyurethane producers can minimize their environmental impact; They also meet the rising demand from consumers for more environmentally friendly materials.
At the same time, they also expect to access new properties and performance profiles for their materials.
POLYSORB® isosorbide is a plant-based renewable feedstock, produced by Roquette at an industrial scale to very high purity.
This sustainable monomer was used by Danimer Scientific in the development of a product portfolio of 100% biobased polyols for polyurethane synthesis.
Outperforming conventional monomers in coatings
To demonstrate how this biobased monomer performs and brings polyurethane coatings both sustainability and improved performance, three case studies were conducted.
Studies were made on two-component coatings (2K coatings), aqueous dispersion, and casting applications.
Each time isosorbide proved to bring enhanced mechanical properties and useful improvement in chemical resistance compared to conventional fossil-fuel-based monomers.
What experts say
About the studies, René Saint Loup, Technical Manager of Performance Materials at Roquette, said: "Regarding this new solution for polyurethane formulation, the new biobased option in polyester polyols solution appears to be a good choice. It allows the use of biobased materials while keeping high performance. There's no need to choose between both! The large range of uses, from 2K formulations to cast urethanes or PU dispersions is something very valuable as well since it is a real pain reliever when adapting the formulation to the end customer's needs."
"This paper highlights the possibilities of bio-based polyurethanes, especially those based on isosorbide. The toughness, adhesion, and solvent resistance are truly remarkable, especially when combined with good reactivity. All made possible from bio-sourced raw materials!” added Matt Terwillegar, Product Engineer at Danimer Scientific.
Download below our scientific article
In this scientific article, we explore the multiple potential uses of isosorbide in biobased polyurethane and provide experimental data demonstrating how new plant-based monomers bring sustainability and enhanced performance to polyurethane coating manufacturers.