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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Commodity Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #392057
Research Project: Development of Novel Cottonseed Products and Processes

Location: Commodity Utilization Research

Title: Synthesis and analysis of lactose polyurethanes and their semi-interpenetrating polymer networks

Author
item Cheng, Huai
item Biswas, Atanu
item Kim, Sanghoon
item Appell, Michael
item FURTADO, ROSELAYNE - Embrapa
item BASTOS, M - Embrapa
item ALVES, CARLUCIO - State University Of Ceará

Submitted to: International Journal of Polymer Analysis and Characterization
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/4/2022
Publication Date: 5/4/2022
Citation: Cheng, H.N., Biswas, A., Kim, S., Appell, M., Furtado, R.F., Bastos, M.S.R., Alves, C.R. 2022. Synthesis and analysis of lactose polyurethanes and their semi-interpenetrating polymer networks. International Journal of Polymer Analysis and Characterization. 27(4):266-276. https://doi.org/10.1080/1023666X.2022.2064037.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1023666X.2022.2064037

Interpretive Summary: Lactose is a sugar found commonly in milk; it is inexpensive and often utilized in food applications such as bulking agents. In order to enhance its value, we converted lactose to a polyurethane, using both conventional heat and microwave. In particular, microwave was found to reduce the reaction time, relative to conventional heating. We also embedded a second polymer into the lactose polyurethane and showed the feasibility of this approach with poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) and poly(lactic acid). The new materials reported in this work may be used as bioplastics, replacing polymers made from petroleum-based materials and providing added value to the dairy industry.

Technical Abstract: In view of growing public awareness of environmental pollution, plastic waste, and microplastics, agro-based materials are increasingly used to replace raw materials derived from fossil feedstocks in order to take advantage of their sustainability, eco-friendliness, better recyclability, and lack of toxicity. One of our focal areas is lactose, which is the natural disaccharide found in milk; it is inexpensive and widely available. In this work, we synthesized polyurethanes from lactose and toluene-2,4-diisocyanate (TDI), using both conventional heat and microwave. Microwave was found to reduce the reaction time and save energy relative to conventional heat. Moreover, semi-interpenetrating polymer networks were made with a second polymer {e.g., poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) and poly(lactic acid)} in order to impart additional properties to the lactose-based polyurethanes. The resulting polymers were characterized with appropriate analyses.