Polyurethanes from Renewable Resources

Factors such as the price and availability of petroleum, and societal concerns over global climate change continue to create increased market pressure on the industrial and domestic use of petrochemicals. Many industrial suppliers of basic chemicals are looking to alternative, sustainable sources of raw materials. In the polyurethanes industry, suppliers of polyols have been utilizing naturally sourced raw materials for many years in conjunction with petrochemical raw materials. Recently, the polyurethanes industry has moved toward greater replacement of petrochemical content with renewable resources. The principle sources of renewable feedstock are the triglyceride oils found in seeds such as soybean, canola, and sunflower. New, non-food sources of triglycerides such as Lesquerella and Vernonia, and even aquatic sources such as algae, are beginning to draw attention, even as old sources such as castor oil are getting a new look.