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Polyurethane (PU) foams were recovered from European and U.S. shredder residues, which typically come from automobiles and other sources of durable goods, such as appliances, furniture, construction, etc. PU foams were characterized and glycolyzed. Glycolysis products were successfully treated for the removal of select substances of concern, heavy metals, and bromine-containing compounds and propoxylated into polyols for polyurethanes with 171 and 355 average equivalent weights. Properties of the glycolysis product and corresponding propoxylated polyols were evaluated, including their molecular weight distribution via gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The polydispersity index decreased from 5.8 to 2.1 by reaction of glycolysis product with 50 wt% of propylene oxide based on a total amount of the initiator. The recycled polyol of an average equivalent weight of 171 was evaluated in rigid polyurethane and urethane-modified isocyanurate foam formulations.

Tons of shredder residue (SR), a complex mixture of plastics, foams, rubber, metals, and glass, are generated each year as a by-product from the recycling of obsolete vehicles. The Vehicle Recycling Partnership (VRP), along with our CRADA partners, is investigating ways to enable the optimum recovery and recycling of these materials. This study investigates the feasibility of recycling (PU) foam using a new chemical process by glycolysing [1, 2] two types of polyurethane (PU) foams, “dirty” and “clean”, which were recovered from SR via an industrial scale process specifically designed to separate PU foams from SR [3, 4]. In stage one of this process, the polyurethane foam is subjected to glycolysis, followed by filtration of the liquid glycolyzed product. In stage two, the glycolyzed products are used as initiators in reaction with propylene oxide to prepare novel polyurethane polyols.