The preparation of polymer composites from renewable resources has gained increased attention over the past decade in both Academia and Industry. The use of triglycerides as building blocks and natural fibers as reinforcement represents a growing trend, and the benefits of combining bio-based resins and natural fibers go beyond the environmental impact. Materials with unique properties can be consistently prepared from renewable resources for various applications. In this work, polyurethane (PU) foams from passion fruit oil methyl esters have been reinforced with coconut fibers at loadings of 1% and 2% (by weight). These composites were characterized by FTIR, H1 NMR, TGA, DSC, DMA, and SEM. The effect of varying the molar ratio of isocyanate and hydroxyl groups during the synthesis of the PUs, as well as the effect of reinforcing PUs with coconut fibers was evaluated. It has been observed that addition of fibers improved the flexural properties of composites.

Synthesis and characterization of composites from passion fruit oil methyl ester polyurethanes and coconut fibers

245th National Meeting (2013)

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