Valorization of xylose residues and crude glycerol for production of biopolyurethane foam

Currently polyurethane (PU) products are heavily dependent on petroleum resources, highlighting an urgent need to develop new bio-based materials. This study aimed to develop a sustainable method of utilizing low-cost and renewable xylose residues (XR) and crude glycerol (CG) for the production of biopolyols. Optimal synthesis conditions were determined to be 220 °C, 3 h, and 7% sodium hydroxide loading, resulting in biopolyols with a hydroxyl number of 505 mg KOH/g and an acid number of 1.7 mg KOH/g. The obtained biopolyols were used to produce bio-based polyurethane (PU) foams with compressive strength of 225 kPa, density of 0.048 g·cm -3 , and thermal conductivity of 0.0355 W·m -1 ·K -1 . Characterization analysis using FT-IR, 1 H NMR, and TGA confirmed the excellent thermal stability and insulation properties of the bio-based PU foam. This study provides a valuable method for producing sustainable bio-based PU foam from XR and CG, thereby presenting a novel approach to realizing the high-value utilization of both resources.