Utilizing Recycled Polyurethane Products for Fabricating Composites with High Sound Attenuation and Thermal Insulation Performance

Polyols, obtained by chemolysis of polyurethane (glycolysis, acidolysis, hydrolysis), are typically recycled to only partially replace virgin polyols in polyurethane foam production. This is due to their high -OH values (higher reactivity) and a lack of control over their chemistry. In our work, we utilize polyols obtained by glycolysis of industrial scrap foam, to fabricate strong, robust and lightweight organic/inorganic composites suitable for soundproofing and thermal insulation. In this poster, we will discuss the correlation between the chemical composition (nature of polyol, organic and inorganic contents) and the material (density, microstructure, and mechanical properties) and functional (sound absorption and thermal conductivity) properties of these organic/inorganic composites. The recycled organic/inorganic composites, consisting of recycled polyols, naturally occurring aluminosilicate minerals, and organic linkers will be shown to exhibit enhanced sound attenuation and thermal insulation behavior as compared to conventionally employed materials (e.g., ordinary Portland cement, gypsum). Finally, the performance of these recycled composites will be compared with virgin composites comprising polyols with similar reactivities.