Biobased Polyols for Industrial Polymers

Autorentext

Deny Kyriacos is the President & CEO of GEM-Chem which is based in Brussels, Belgium. He holds a B.Sc. (Distinction, Honours, University award in Chemistry) from Alexandria, Egypt, and Ph.D. from Loughborough University in the UK. Before starting his own company, Dr. Kyriacos has worked at Upjohn, GE and ICI International.

Klappentext

As the world turns its attention to sustainability and away from fossil sources, this practical guide on the chemistry of renewable biobased polyols will be a very important and significant development for those in industry. The replacement of polyols synthesized from petrochemicals by polyols originating from natural products, notably from vegetable oils and animal fats, has been the subject of research projects for a number of decades. Very recently, however, the polymers industry has intensified its efforts to include the "green products", such as biobased polyols, in applications already available in the market. Examples of such applications include polyurethane foams, elastomers and epoxides. This book describes the extraction of the natural constituents of several fruits and plants as well as their chemical conversion to polyols. In addition to the chemistry involved in the process, particular emphasis is attributed to their applications. Biobased Polyols for Industrial Polymers provides the reader:

• A detailed account on the chemistry and applications of polyols obtained from natural sources
• Numerous examples on the extraction and synthesis of biobased polyols as well as their use in polyurethane, epoxide and unsaturated polyester technologies, among others
• A description of the extraction of natural chemicals and their conversion to polyols used in the polymers industry. Audience The book's main audience is chemists, chemical engineers and technologists involved in the development of rigid and flexible polyurethanes, epoxides and unsaturated polyesters. The book is also a good teaching tool for lecturers of chemistry and polymer technology.