Next Article in Journal
Dominant Role of Polypropylene Chain Architecture in Differentiating Flame Retardancy and Mechanical Performance
Previous Article in Journal
RETRACTED: Hindi, S.S. Novel Recycling, Defibrillation, and Delignification Methods for Isolating α-Cellulose from Different Lignocellulosic Precursors for the Eco-Friendly Fiber Industry. Polymers 2024, 16, 2430
Previous Article in Special Issue
Bio-Based Viscoelastic Polyurethane Foams: Functional Behavior Across Application Temperatures
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Polymers
Volume 18
Issue 11
10.3390/polym18111355
polymers-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Impact of Suberin Depolymerization Conditions on the Thermal Properties and Flammability of Rigid Polyurethane Foams

by
Aiga Ivdre
,
Mikelis Kirpluks
*,
Daniela Godina
,
Arnis Abolins
,
Laima Vevere
,
Rudolfs Berzins
,
Maris Lauberts
and
Janis Rizikovs
Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Polymers 2026, 18(11), 1355; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18111355
Submission received: 24 April 2026 / Revised: 18 May 2026 / Accepted: 26 May 2026 / Published: 29 May 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyurethane Foams)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Suberinic acids (SA) derived from birch outer bark are renewable feedstocks for bio-based polyols suitable for rigid polyurethane (PU) foams. Three SA fractions were prepared under different depolymerization conditions: acidification at pH 1 (SA1), pH 5 (SA2), and FeCl3-assisted treatment (SA3), and their chemical composition was analysed by GC–MS, Py–GC/MS, and GPC–RID. Polyols derived from tall oil fatty acids (TOFA) or epoxidized TOFA with trimethylolpropane were used as the sole polyol components in foam formulations. The SA fractions differed in molecular weight distribution, affecting polyol processability. All foams exhibited similar limiting oxygen index (19–20) and cone calorimetry results, showing no statistically significant differences in flammability. This indicates that variations in depolymerization conditions, including polyphenolic content and removal of higher-molecular-weight fractions during FeCl3 treatment, do not dominate fire performance under the studied conditions. SA3-based polyols showed the lowest viscosity and produced foams with optimal mechanical and thermal properties, while SA1 offered higher yield with comparable performance. These results demonstrate the feasibility of converting SA fractions into functional polyols for rigid PU foams and highlight the FeCl3-treated SA3 fraction and SA1 as the most promising candidates for further development.
Keywords: suberin; suberinic acids; polyols; rigid polyurethane foams; flammability suberin; suberinic acids; polyols; rigid polyurethane foams; flammability

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Ivdre, A.; Kirpluks, M.; Godina, D.; Abolins, A.; Vevere, L.; Berzins, R.; Lauberts, M.; Rizikovs, J. Impact of Suberin Depolymerization Conditions on the Thermal Properties and Flammability of Rigid Polyurethane Foams. Polymers 2026, 18, 1355. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18111355

AMA Style

Ivdre A, Kirpluks M, Godina D, Abolins A, Vevere L, Berzins R, Lauberts M, Rizikovs J. Impact of Suberin Depolymerization Conditions on the Thermal Properties and Flammability of Rigid Polyurethane Foams. Polymers. 2026; 18(11):1355. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18111355

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ivdre, Aiga, Mikelis Kirpluks, Daniela Godina, Arnis Abolins, Laima Vevere, Rudolfs Berzins, Maris Lauberts, and Janis Rizikovs. 2026. "Impact of Suberin Depolymerization Conditions on the Thermal Properties and Flammability of Rigid Polyurethane Foams" Polymers 18, no. 11: 1355. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18111355

APA Style

Ivdre, A., Kirpluks, M., Godina, D., Abolins, A., Vevere, L., Berzins, R., Lauberts, M., & Rizikovs, J. (2026). Impact of Suberin Depolymerization Conditions on the Thermal Properties and Flammability of Rigid Polyurethane Foams. Polymers, 18(11), 1355. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18111355

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop