Browsing by Author "Ugarte, Lorena"
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- Different environmentaly-friendly strategies for loading waterborne polyurethane and polyurethane-urea dispersionsPublication . Santamaria-Echart, Arantzazu; Ugarte, Lorena; Fernandes, Isabel P.; Barreiro, M.F.; Corcuera, Maria Angeles; Eceiza, ArantaxaThe environmental awareness has increased the research and development of eco-friendly green synthesis routes for many different applications, such as the waterborne polymer systems. Among others, waterborne polyurethanes (WBPU) and waterborne polyurethane-ureas (WBPUU) have gained attention due to their versatility in terms of composition and properties, making them suitable in a wide range of applications [1]. WBPU and WBPUU synthesis process is based on the incorporation of internal emulsifiers covalently bonded to the polymer obtaining stable water dispersions over months. Furthermore, the waterborne character of the dispersions provides the opportunity of incorporating water dispersible nanoentities and water soluble additives, enhancing or even providing additional properties. In this context, the use of renewable derivatives opens the possibility of enhancing the environmentally-friendly character. Among them, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are presented as a suitable candidate for the preparation of nanocomposites, considering their unique properties in the nanoscale dimension, provided by their high length/diameter aspect ratio and high specific mechanical properties [2]. Otherwise, the incorporation of natural water soluble additives has focused attention on extracts obtained from plants, consisting in biologically active compounds [3], whose antimicrobial character can determine the antimicrobial behavior of the WBPU and WBPUU. Therefore, in this work, different strategies have been analyzed for the preparation of WBPU-CNC nanocomposites and WBPUU-plant extracts varying their content as well as their incorporation route.
- Flexible polyurethane foams based on 100% renewably sourced polyolsPublication . Ugarte, Lorena; Saralegi, Ainara; Fernández, Rocío; Martín, L.; Corcuera, Maria Angeles; Eceiza, ArantaxaSince polyol is one of the major components in polyurethane foam synthesis, introducing renewably sourced polyols in the foam formulation leads to materials with high renewable carbon content. A series of flexible polyurethane foams with variations in polyol composition were synthesized with castor oil based Lupranol Balance ® 50 polyether polyol and corn based polytrimethylene ether glycol mixtures. Water was used as the unique and eco-friendly blowing agent. The effect of the relative amount of each polyol on the structure and properties was analyzed by optical microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, tensile and compressive tests, dynamic mechanical analysis and atomic force microscopy. The average molecular weight and hydroxyl number of the polyol components showed to influence the foaming reaction and hence the structure and properties of the polyurethane foam. The newly developed peak force quantitative nano-mechanics technique was used to map the elastic modulus values of foam cell struts and it seemed to be adequate to assess the purity of the different phases.
- Green nanocomposites from Salvia-based waterborne polyurethane-urea dispersions reinforced with nanocellulosePublication . Santamaria-Echart, Arantzazu; Fernandes, Isabel P.; Ugarte, Lorena; Barreiro, M.F.; Corcuera, Maria Angeles; Eceiza, ArantaxaWaterborne polyurethane-urea (WBPUU) dispersions, products having none or low contents of organic solvents, depending on the used synthesis process, can provide suitable environmentally-friendly strategies to prepare novel materials. Moreover, waterborne systems enable the incorporation of aqueous dispersible nanoentities and soluble additives, which provides a strategy to design versatile functional materials with tailored properties. Having demonstrated in previous work the bacteriostatic properties of a 3 wt% Salvia-based WBPUU against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, this work is focused in the preparation of Salvia-based WBPUU added with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) tackling the preparation of functional green nanocomposite films with increased mechanical properties. Through this strategy, nanocomposites loaded with 1, 3 and 5 wt% of CNC were prepared, showing an effective CNC incorporation avoiding agglomerates. CNC addition is able to modulate soft and hard phase's segregation, inducing enhanced mechanical stiffness, together with improved deformability, while retarding thermomechanical instability to higher temperatures.
- Modulating the microstructure of waterborne polyurethanes for preparation of environmentally friendly nanocomposites by incorporating cellulose nanocrystalsPublication . Santamaria-Echart, Arantzazu; Ugarte, Lorena; Arbelaiz, Aitor; Barreiro, M.F.; Corcuera, Maria Angeles; Eceiza, ArantaxaIncreasing environmental awareness has promoted development of ecofriendly materials incorporating renewable raw materials and using green synthesis routes such as waterborne dispersion, avoiding employment of organic solvents and thus reducing generation of volatile organic compounds. In this regard, waterborne polyurethanes (WBPU) present an opportunity to tailor material properties while meeting application requirements and avoiding use of organic solvents. In addition, WBPU dispersions offer the possibility to incorporate hydrophilicwater-dispersible reinforcement materials, such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), which represent a suitable candidate for preparation of nanocomposites due to their renewability, availability, and unique properties resulting from their nanoscale dimension. Therefore, in this work, different WBPU having small particle size with narrow distribution were synthesized at various isocyanate/hydroxyl (NCO/OH) group ratios, and CNC were isolated for preparation of nanocomposites with 1, 3, or 5 wt% CNC by solvent casting. It was observed that, just by varying the NCO/OH ratio, the polyurethane microstructure was altered, resulting in different ordered structures. At low NCO/OH ratio, soft ordered domains were observed, whereas at higher NCO/OH ratio, hard ordered domains were obtained. These different microstructures of the matrix induced different behaviors of the CNC reinforcement, acting either as crystal growth inhibitor or nucleating agent, thereby modulating the properties of the final material in different ways.
- Waterborne polyurethane-urea dispersion with chain extension step in homogeneous medium reinforced with cellulose nanocrystalsPublication . Santamaria-Echart, Arantzazu; Fernandes, Isabel P.; Ugarte, Lorena; Barreiro, M.F.; Arbelaiz, Aitor; Corcuera, Maria Angeles; Eceiza, ArantaxaWaterborne polyurethane-urea (WBPUU) dispersions have gained attention towards environmentally-friendly synthesis routes. Differing from the conventional WBPUU synthesis route where the diamine chain extension is performed in heterogeneous medium in the surface of the already formed particles, in this case the chain ex- tension was carried out in homogeneous medium, prior to WBPUU nanoparticles formation. Thus, stable WBPUU dispersion with small particle sizes and narrow distribution was synthesized. Furthermore, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were isolated for the preparation of eco-friendly nanocomposites just by mixing. Nanocomposites with different CNC contents were prepared and extensively characterized in terms of physicochemical, thermal, thermomechanical and mechanical properties, hydrophilic behavior and morphology.