Potential of Crude Tall Oil Polyols for Rigid Polyurethane Foam Production and their Comparison with Tall Oil Fatty Acids Polyols

Tall oils are a second-generation feedstock with perspective use in polyurethane materials. This study compared crude tall oil and tall oil fatty acid bio-polyols to determine whether crude tall oil could be used for polyurethane foam production making the production more cost-effective. Polyols were synthesized in a two-step process. At first, double bond epoxidation followed by oxirane ring-opening, and transesterification with multifunctional alcohols. The epoxidation process was studied with acid value and relative conversion to oxirane analysis. The obtained polyols were analyzed for acid value, hydroxyl value, viscosity, and with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. The results showed suitable hydroxyl values for almost all polyols, including crude tall oil polyols, but the high viscosity limits the use of most of the polyols.