ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

Although polyurethane foams (PUFs) are versatile materials, their synthesis still relies heavily on petrochemically-derived polyols. Herein, we report a sustainable catalytic route to novel polyols via the Zn/Cobased double metal cyanide catalyzed copolymerization of propylene oxide and CO2 using bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) derived from waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as an initiator. The resulting PET-CO2 polyols integrated rigid aromatic segments and carbonate linkages, enabling the fabrication of flexible PUFs with improved compressive performance compared to those prepared from conventional polyether and polycarbonate polyols. Compositional, spectroscopic, and thermal analyses confirmed the successful incorporation of CO2 and BHET into the polyol structure. This dual valorization of waste PET and CO2 provides an economically and environmentally viable pathway for the production of functional polyols, contributing to circular-economy-oriented PU production.

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