Effective urethane type heat insulation materials from the pulp-and-paper industry waste product - foliage tree tall oil | Efektīvi uretāna tipa siltumizolācijas materiāli no celulozes-papīra rūpniecības blakus produkta lapu koku tallu eļļas

A technology of the synthesis of polyols from crude foliage tree tall oil has been developed. Based on these polyols compositions for polyurethane (PUR) foams have been formulated. A technology of spraying these composition using both low-pressure and high-pressure machines has been developed. Comprehensive studies of these have shown that, in terms of mechanical and thermal insulation characteristics, they are well comparable to commercial PUR foams. In the Baltic region, more than 40% of the total consumption of energy is used for heating of buildings. Nowadays, the principal source of heating is fossil fuel. At the same time, the raw materials used for production of heat insulation materials, including PUR foams, are products of oil chemistry. However, oil reserves are decreasing and, consequently, the prices of fuel and also chemical raw materials are very unstable. In this research, the environmentally friendly process of the production of rigid PUR foams was investigated. As a raw material for the synthesis of the polyols component for PUR foams, the heavy tonnage by-product of pulp production - foliage tree tall oil (TO) was used. TO is widely used in chemical synthesis, but there is no information about the foliage tree TO as a potential raw material for PUR. For detailed analysis of the content and characteristics of TO, the following methods were applied: determination of the acid value and oxidative substances, as well as the water content and concentration of unsaponifiables. The esterification method with triethanolamine for polyol synthesis from foliage tree TO was applied. In the process of the formation of heat insulation materials, development of compositions for commercial use in diverse industries of the national economy was planned. PUR foams were prepared with the density 40 kg/m**3 and 60 kg/m**3. The main physical and mechanical characteristics of PUR foams were determined in accordance with the requirements of the corresponding standards ISO or EN ISO. Thermal conductivity is below 0.028 W/(m K) and insulation is frost- and heat resistant from -50 deg C to + 100 deg C. Residents of buildings insulated with PUR foams from foliage tree tall oil report a considerable improvement in the indoor environment and a greater degree of comfort. Two commercial prospective spraying formulations due to reduced oil reserves have been developed and can be obtained from the renewable raw material – foliage tree tall oil.