Recycled polyurethane foams as new artificial soils Michael Harris 1 , Harry C. Wright 1 , Jacob Nickles 2 , Prof. Duncan Cameron 2 , Prof. Anthony J. Ryan 1 1 University of Sheffield, UK, 2 University of Manchester,UK Artificial soils are becoming increasingly important 1 from pressures of producing commercially available soils that are not harmful to the environment, such as peat 2 ,for future plant growth. Polyurethanes present themselves as a possible avenue of a novel artificial soil 3 that can be adapted to suit plant or environmental needs through bespoke synthesis and recycling. Polyurethanes are produced from a reaction between a polyol and a diisocyanate, resulting in an extremely versatile polymer with applications ranging from adhesives to foams, that have been used for artificial soils 3 . This has been achieved through effective rational design of the multitude of components that can be included into a polyurethane, from aliphatic/aromatic polymeric backbones to the surfactants and catalysts used in the synthesis, these factors create a rich and varied material for use in future soils 3 . These new soils can ideally target the water uptake and airflow needs of the plants grown in the for applications such as hydroponics. Currently, polyurethane foam is shaped into products through subtractive manufacturing, where waste foam is removed and discarded. Industrial methods have already capitalised on utilizing these discarded pieces in new products. These discards are glued back together using a polyurethane prepolymer, compressed and steamed to create a new “rebond” block 4 . These rebonded foams are used in seats, crash mats and beds. This work looks at how these rebonded foams can be used as a recycled material for artificial soils, utilizing a waste product and altering factors such as the type of polyurethane used and the synthesis of the prepolymer to produce the next generation of artificial soils. References 1. A. Fussy and J. Papenbrock, Plants, 2022, 11, 1153. 2. B. Minasny, Ö. Berglund, J. Connolly, C. Hedley, F. de Vries, A. Gimona, B. Kempen, D. Kidd, H. Lilja, B. Malone, A. McBratney, P. Roudier, S. O’Rourke, Rudiyanto, J. Padarian, L. Poggio, A. ten Caten, D. Thompson, C. Tuve and W. Widyatmanti, Earth Sci Rev, 2019, 196, 102870. 3. H. C. Wright, D. D. Cameron and A. J. Ryan, Polymers (Basel), 2022, 14, 5111. 4. M. Szycher, Szycher’s Handbook of Polyurethanes, CRC Press, 2012.
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