The Application of Palm Kernel Oil to Producing Polyurethane

Abstract

The goal of this research was to create, describe, and investigate the electro behavior of polyurethane utilizing screen-printed electrodes and cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry (CV/DPV). Conducting polymers (CPs) are polymers that can release a current. The conductivity of CPs was first observed in polyacetylene, nevertheless owing to its instability, the invention of various CPs have been studied and reported such as polyaniline (PANI), poly(o-toluidine) (PoT), polythiophene (PTH), polyfluorene (PF), and polyurethane (PU). Incorporating certain additives changes the mechanical characteristics of polyurethane (PU), a special polymer, and its processing options. In this work, a freestanding bio-based polyurethane film with a screen-printed electrode (SPE) was made utilizing acetone as a solvent and the solution casting approach. It was a one-pot reaction involving the two main reactants, 4,4-methylene diisocyanate and polyol made from palm kernel oil. On the SPE surface, the PU adheres firmly. The synthesized bio-based polyurethane was characterized using thermogravimetry analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), surface area analysis by field emission scanning electron microscope, and cyclic voltammetry. To investigate the electro-catalytic capabilities of SPE-polyurethane towards the oxidation of PU, cyclic voltammetry was used. Surprisingly, SPE-PU, when compared to SPE, showed better anodic peak current utilizing the differential pulse voltammetry technique. Additionally, the lack of the signal at 2241 cm-1 attributable to the sp-hydridized carbons atoms of CC bonds following polymerization was examined using FTIR to demonstrate the synthesis of urethane linkages (-NHC(O) backbone). The polyurethane's glass transition temperature was determined to be 78.1°C.