Single-Phase Recycling of Flexible Polyurethane Foam by Glycolysis and Oxyalkylation: Large-Scale Industrial Evaluation

This study focuses on the developmentof a single-phasechemical approach for recycling automotive polyurethane foam fromthe post-consumer wastes of automobiles. Theefficient recycling of polyurethane foams (PUFs) is criticalto reduce the environmental effects of end-of-life wastes. In general,industrial PUF recycling approaches have been focused on PUF mattresses;however, the recycling of PUFs used in the automotive industry israrely discussed because of the specific parameters related to dynamic/staticcomfort, durability, and hygienic regulations. Here, we present, forthe first time, an efficient chemical approach for recycling automotivePUFs from post-consumer wastes (PCWs) of automobiles. The PUF scrapwas chemically decomposed via glycolysis without any phase separationand was used as a reactant in a reaction with alkylene oxide to obtainmore stable oxyalkylated polyols. To fabricate various automotivePUF-based products, including seats, headrests, and sound-absorbingmaterials, 10-20 wt % recycled polyol was added to virgin polyol.As a result, the obtained PUFs containing recycled polyol exhibitedphysical characteristics, formability, and volatile organic compound(VOC) contents similar to those of virgin PUFs. Moreover, three cyclabilitytests for a PUF seat confirmed that the physical properties of thePUF remained stable during cyclic applications. The proposed automotivePUF recycling process will promote a circular economy and sustainabilityand will increase the recycling rate of PUFs in the automotive industry.