Enzymatic synthesis of andiroba oil based polyol for the production of flexible polyurethane foams

Andiroba oil is a popular Amazonian product that stands out for its numerous medicinal properties, such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and repellent action. This work reports the synthesis of andiroba oil polyol (AOP) by enzymatic glycerolysis and its use as raw material for the production of polyurethane foams (PUF). The AOP synthesis was carried out in a tubular fixed bed reactor containing commercial lipase Novozym 435 (R), using a reaction mixture composed of andiroba oil, glycerol and t-butanol. Three percent solvent contents (50, 100, and 150% volume of solvent per weight of substrate) and temperatures (40, 50, and 60 degrees C) were evaluated. The AOP synthesized at 50 degrees C with 150% of solvent showed the highest yield of monoacylglycerol - MAG (66.47 %), being the most suitable for PUF production. PUFs were prepared using AOP or AOP/glycerol blends, hexamethylene diisocyanate biuret, dibutyl-tin dilaurate as catalyst and water as blowing agent. Polyurethane formation was confirmed by FTIR. Due to the low average functionality of AOP (F-(OH) = 1.23), the production of dimensionally stable foams, was possible only through its combination with glycerol.