Polyurethane Industry Pathfinder Renewable Resources (1)
As oil prices continue to rise, the cost of raw materials for polyester and polyether polyols has also surged. In response, natural oils and fats—renewable resources—are gaining attention as eco-friendly and cost-effective alternatives for producing polyurethane intermediates. This shift is not only driven by environmental concerns but also by growing economic advantages. To support this transition, the National Development and Reform Commission has launched a project aiming to establish an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons of turpentine and oil-based polyester polyols. This initiative has been recognized as a key industrial technology development project for 2007 and is now in the installation phase.
Zhou Yonghong, deputy director of the Forest Products Chemical Industry Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Forestry, highlighted that once completed, the project will enable large-scale replacement of toxic petrochemicals like woody oils, waste oils, and rosin in polyurethane production. This move is expected to significantly enhance clean production technologies within the industry.
China is rich in natural oil resources, with turpentine being one of the most abundant. The country can recover over 2 million tons of turpentine annually, with current output around 800,000 tons, making it the world leader. Rosin and turpentine are essential chemical feedstocks. Additionally, China has strong potential for developing other woody oils and fats. By 2015, woody oil production is projected to exceed 10 million tons, while 5 million tons of waste oil, including animal fats and municipal waste oil, are generated each year. Utilizing these low-cost natural resources to replace expensive petrochemicals such as phthalic anhydride and propylene oxide offers both ecological benefits and strong market competitiveness.
Despite the resource availability, there were previously technical challenges in producing polyurethanes from natural oils. Traditional methods involved complex processes like epoxidation and hydroxylation, which often led to poor product performance and environmental pollution. However, significant progress has been made. Since the 1990s, the only forestry chemical research institute in China has focused on developing rosin-based polyols and rigid polyurethane foams. They have optimized production techniques and improved product compatibility.
In 2004, they achieved a breakthrough in biodiesel production by simultaneously generating dimers, enhancing the economic viability of the process. Dimer, which can replace phthalic anhydride, has been used to produce polyester polyols through transesterification. A pilot plant with an annual output of 500 tons was established, and the resulting polyurethane products have performance levels comparable to those made from petrochemicals.
Industrial demonstrations are currently underway, marking a critical step toward the widespread adoption of sustainable polyurethane production using natural oils.
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