SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF RIGID POLYURETHANE (PU) FOAM WITH FLY ASH AS REINFORCING AGENT

The global PU market cost was 65.5 US billion dollars in 2018, 95.13 US billion dollars in 2019 and its expected projection growth to almost 150 US billion dollars by 2023 at 12% compound annual growth rate. In present study, Rigid PU foam was synthesized by using castor oil, glycerol, 4,4-dimethyldiisocyanate, silicon as surfactant using cobalt octoate and trimethylamine as catalyst. To study the effect of reinforcing agent on the structure of PU foam and its mechanical strength, PU foams were again prepared by adding 5%, 10% and 15% fly ash and tested their structure changes. Characterization was carried out with Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Shifting of some FTIR peaks and change in intensity of some peaks are the results of some interactions of reinforcing agent with basic component of PU foam and also due to the change in the cell size and structure of cell.