Exploring the Potential to Repurpose Flexible Moulded Polyurethane Foams as Acoustic Insulators

Polyurethane flexible foams are widely used for a variety of applications to improve comfort and durability. Their long-term frequent use inevitably leads to the generation of waste that needs to be treated. The recycling and reuse of polyurethane waste are essential to achieve an environmentally fr...

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Published inPolymers Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 163
Main Authors Mester, Enikő, Pecsmány, Dániel, Jálics, Károly, Filep, Ádám, Varga, Miklós, Gráczer, Kitti, Viskolcz, Béla, Fiser, Béla
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland MDPI AG 31.12.2021
MDPI
Subjects
Acoustic insulation
Acoustic properties
Acoustics
Additives
Aging
Compressive strength
Cushions
Damping
Dry heat
flexible foam
Frequency ranges
Insulators
Isocyanates
Mechanical properties
Morphology
Noise
Plastic foam
Polyurethane foam
polyurethane repurposing
Porous materials
Ratios
Recycling
sound insulation
Sound transmission
Sound waves
waste utilization
Hungary
Germany
compressive strength
flexible foam
waste utilization
polyurethane repurposing
sound insulation
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Summary:Polyurethane flexible foams are widely used for a variety of applications to improve comfort and durability. Their long-term frequent use inevitably leads to the generation of waste that needs to be treated. The recycling and reuse of polyurethane waste are essential to achieve an environmentally friendly economy. The present study investigates the potential to reuse and repurpose flexible polyurethane foam from automotive seat cushion waste materials. Flexible foams were prepared with different hardnesses using isocyanate-polyol ratios between 0.8 and 1.2 NCO-index. Dry heat aging tests were performed to mimic the long-term usage of the materials. The decrease in compressive strength was compared with the change in acoustic damping properties before and after the aging tests using an acoustic tube, and the change in foam cell structures was also analyzed by micro-CT. On the basis of the results obtained, although the foam systems are no longer suitable to be used as seat cushions due to aging, they can still be used as sound insulation materials within a given frequency range, as their sound absorption capacity is suitable for such purpose.
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ISSN:2073-4360
2073-4360
DOI:10.3390/polym14010163