Recent developments in palm-based polyols

Polyurethane foam is a very versatile "plastic" and its products have made our world more comfortable because of their applications in almost every aspect of human life and activities. Generally, the production of polyurethane foams (PUFs) involves the reaction between a polyol and a polyisocyanate in the presence of a blowing agent. Currently, most of the raw materials used in the production of PUFs are petrochemical-based. As environmental pressure increases worl-wide, it is necessary to find alternative sources for raw materials to be used in the production of PUFs. Materials from renewable sources such as oils/fats are found to be suitable and offer interesting possibilities for the manufacture of PUFs (US Patent Nos 4 825 004 and 5 075 417)