TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Recyclable Polyurethanes

Active

Contract Opportunity

Opportunity:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop its process for chemical degradation of polyurethane plastics.

Background:

Polyurethanes are major consumer plastic materials, ranking 6th in global plastics production with an annual production of 16 million tons. Due to their superior mechanical properties, polyurethane polymers are ubiquitous and have been extensively used for a wide range of applications including foams, coatings, adhesives, sealants & elastomers. However, to date, the recycling of polyurethanes, especially with crosslinked networks, is an impractical, low value business due to numerous difficulties associated with reprocessing and/or repurposing these materials. Less than 20% of polyurethanes, mainly polyurethane thermoplastics, are recycled by methods such as rebonding, hydrogenation, and glycolysis. Recycling of polyurethanes is still an unattractive process from an economic standpoint. To date, most recyclable and reprocessable polyurethane systems rely on remolding processes, which generally require high temperatures, metal catalysts, and suffer from a reduction in mechanical properties of the recycled materials relative to the pristine materials. In order to overcome these limitations, many attempts have been undertaken including appropriate selection of catalysts insertion of other dynamic chemistries, and alternative polymerization methods.

Description:

LLNL researchers have developed a method which utilizes functional alcohols to depolymerize polyurethane crosslinked networks. The functional alcohols show 5X increase in the depolymerization efficiency compared with current state of art (e.g. methanol, ethylene glycol). The crosslinked polyurethane networks completely depolymerized into a liquid oligomer within 48 hours at ambient temperature. Furthermore, no additional chemical procedures are needed to purify the depolymerized compound.

Chemical recycling of the polyurethane with functional alcohols can lead to a diverse materials library through the appropriate re-formulation of the recycled monomers. When mixed with commercially available thiol monomers, the recycled urethane monomers readily undergo fast photopolymerization with thiol functional groups. These resins made from the depolymerized urethane oligomers could then used for 3D printing of structures with high precision with superior mechanical properties compared to conventional photopolymers.

Advantages/Benefits:

1. The crosslinked polyurethane networks completely depolymerized into a liquid oligomer within 48 hours at ambient temperature without needing further purification.


2. Functional alcohols show a 5X higher reaction yield compared to state of the art.


3. Various types of polyurethanes can undergo this depolymerization process, including rigid foam, flexible foam, coatings, and sprays.


4. Depolymerized oligomers can be mixed with commercially available monomers resulting in 3D printable photopolymerizable resins which results in structures having superior mechanical properties.

Potential Applications:

Polyurethane recycling, 3D printing photoresins

Development Status:

Current stage of technology development: TRL-3

LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention.

LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information.

Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Note: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's Recyclable Polyurethanes should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

1. Company Name and address.


2. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact.


3. A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology.

Please provide a complete electronic OR written statement to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's Recyclable Polyurethanes.

The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below.

Written responses should be directed to:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Innovation and Partnerships Office

P.O. Box 808, L-779

Livermore, CA 94551-0808

Attention: IL-13861

Attachments/Links