Polyurethanes reinforced with Spartium Junceum fibers

The search for alternative polymer composites prepared by renewable resources is gaining increasing attention in the industrial sector. Here we prepared new polyurethane (PU) composite foams with high percentages of the natural vegetable fibers Spartium Junceum in conjunction with biodegradable polyethylene glycols (PEGs). The density and mechanical properties of PU foams were investigated. Further characterization of the morphology of these materials was carried out by scanning electron microscopy. Here we show that these properties can be easily tuned by changing the molecular length of PEGs, the weight ratio between the two principal monomers, and the fraction of water added to the reacting mixtures. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:3042–3049, 2016.