Scientists Produce Polyurethanes from Sugar

In Minnesota, polyurethanes in products from cushy sofas to stretchy spandex have made sitting, sleeping and walking more comfortable. However, once they have served their purpose, most of these materials pile up in landfills. Now, scientists report a potential way of reducing wastes through a chemically recyclable foam made using a new sugar-derived material.

Marc A. Hillmyer and colleagues developed an efficient method to make a sugar-derived rubbery polyester compound called poly(β-methyl-δ-valerolactone), or PMVL, that can be used in new chemically-recyclable polyurethanes. Using this new polymer, the researchers made flexible polyurethane foams that were comparable in performance to commercial analogs.

To test whether the foams could be recycled, the team first added a catalyst, then heated the materials to a high temperature. Through this process, the researchers recovered up to 97 percent of the starting β-methyl-δ-valerolactone (MVL) monomer in high purity. The researchers then used what they recovered to re-make PMVL with essentially identical properties.