We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Degradation of Bioderived Polyurethane Composites by Spectroscopy in ISO20200 Composting Conditions
Summary
Researchers used computational methods including support vector machines and deep learning to predict reproductive toxicity in pharmaceutical compounds, identifying three distinct toxicity clusters linked to phthalates and phenol derivatives, with their best model achieving 88% accuracy — offering a faster, safer alternative to animal-based toxicity testing.
Polyurethane foam compositions derived from bioderived polyester polyols with various additives were evaluated for disintegration under composting conditions using the ISO 20200 standard and were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and imaging to provide additional insight. Compared to polyether polyol-based polyurethanes, the bioderived polyurethanes were found to display increased disintegration with an average mass loss of 25.4 ± 3.6 weight percent when subjected to composting conditions for 45 days, suggesting that these materials are less likely to persist in the environment when compared to other types of commodity plastics. Additives such as carbon black and lignin added within the foam composition did not accelerate the disintegration.