Properties and biodegradability of waste paper foam filled Polyurethane foams composites
Abstract
The research is focused to study the properties of polyurethane foam reinforced with different types and content of waste paper. The comparison of the effects of three types of waste
paper, such as paper sludge (PS) , old newspaper (ONP) and office white paper (OW?) on
physical, mechanical. thermal. biodegradable properties and morphology of PU foam was
studied. The result show ONP foam significantly highest value of compressive strength.
compressive modulus and hardness compared than PS and OWP foam composites. The
increasing filler loading improved the mechanical properties but reduced the density of foam.
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study indicated that the addition of waste paper in
polyurethane foam reduced the open cell structure of foam. The biodegradation study of waste
paper foam composites increased with increasing of waste paper loading. However. the ONP
foam composites showed higher degradation in soil compared to the OWP foam and followed
by PS foam composites. The results of thermogravimetric analysis (I'GA) showed PS foam
composites has highest thermal stability compared with OWP and ONP foam composites. The
PS foam composites exhibit the highest of crystallization. The presence of the triethylene
diamine (I'EDA) as catalyst has improved the compressive strength. compressive modulus.
hardness and density of waste paper foam composites. The thermal stability of waste paper
foam composites with TEDA is higher than waste paper foam composites without TEDA . The
micrographs of waste paper foam composites with TEDA show the addition offiller and catalyst
can affict the crosslinking of the foam composites to produce the smaller cell structure. The
waste paper foam composites with methylene chloride (MC) have higher of compressive
strength, compressive modulus and hardness but lower the density and thermal stability
compare to waste paper foam composites without Me. The morphology of waste paper foam
composites with different filler loading with MC show smaller open cell compared to without
catalyst. Partial replacement of toluene diisocyanate (I'D1) in diphenyl methane .J,.J 'diisocyanate
(MD1) of ONP foam indicates higher compressive strength. compressive modulus,
hardness and density compared to MDl/ONP foam composites. The micrograph of
TD1 MDHONP foam composites show tHat the foam close cell structure compared to MDl/ONP
foam composites. The TD1/MDI/ONP foam composites have better thermal stabiLity than
MDl/ONP foam composites.