Preparation and Characterization of Polyurethanes from Spinifex Resin Based Bio-Polymer

In this paper we explore the preparation of polyurethanes from spinifex resin biopolymer. Polyurethanes were prepared by both one-shot and pre-polymer (two step) processes. Attenuated total reflection??Fourier transform infrared analysis revealed urethane bond formation in both processes, and the peak intensity for N?CH stretching was more sharp when the network was prepared by the pre-polymer method. Gel permeation chromatography revealed that the molecular weight of synthesized polyurethane increased with respect to the resin starting material, and the molecular weight was further increased when polyurethane was synthesized by the pre-polymer method. The glass transition temperature was also increased for the polyurethanes as compared with the starting resin. Thermo-gravimetric analysis revealed that the thermal stability of the PU-spinifex resin was reduced at intermediate temperatures due to the urethane bond formation. However, thermal degradation properties were superior at higher temperatures due to the cyclization degradation reaction of spinifex-polyurethane.