https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Researchers at the University of Twente have developed a method to recycle polyurethane foam from mattresses and furniture and also household sponges. They did this safely, without using toxic chemicals. The discovery offers a circular solution for millions of tons of hard-to-recycle waste. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-foam-mattresses-sponges-safely-recycled.html Polymers Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:13:13 EDT news678377591 Ho Yong Chung, an associate professor in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, has demonstrated for the first time the possibility of using lignin, a material found in plant cell walls, and carbon dioxide to create a new kind of polyurethane, a polymer used in various applications for its ability to regulate heat, flexibility during processing and strength as a finished product. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-plastic-cell-walls-yield-versatile.html Biochemistry Fri, 15 Aug 2025 09:22:03 EDT news674468521 A research team has synthesized a novel red sea star-inspired polyurethane, which can achieve rapid underwater self-healing. The study was published in Macromolecules. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-red-sea-star-polyurethane-enables.html Polymers Fri, 16 May 2025 09:48:02 EDT news666607681 Diisocyanates are used in the preparation of all polyurethanes, ranging from the foams used in shoe soles to the thermoplastics used in cell phone cases. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-bio-based-method-polyurethane-toxic.html Biochemistry Fri, 21 Mar 2025 12:38:02 EDT news661779481 Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP have developed a foil that changes into polyurethane foam (PU foam) when heated—entirely without health risks. The foil allows for isocyanate-free foaming, thus improving workplace safety. Additionally, it offers logistics advantages for storage and transportation. The material can be customized for various applications ranging from the automotive and construction industries to packaging. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-polyurethane-memory-foil-foam.html Polymers Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:16:04 EST news659276162 An environmentally-friendly preparation of plant material from pine could serve as a substitute for petroleum-based chemicals in polyurethane foams. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-based-substitute-fossil-fuels-plastic.html Polymers Tue, 28 Jan 2025 09:03:04 EST news657277382 Researchers at Aarhus University have found a better method to recycle polyurethane foam from items like mattresses. This is great news for the budding industry that aims to chemically recover the original components of the material—making their products cheaper and better. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-smarter-recycle-polyurethane.html Polymers Fri, 16 Aug 2024 11:13:03 EDT news643025581 Oil spills are deadly disasters for ocean ecosystems. They can have lasting impacts on fish and marine mammals for decades and wreak havoc on coastal forests, coral reefs, and the surrounding land. Chemical dispersants are often used to break down oil, but they often increase toxicity in the process. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-laser-cork-absorbs-oil-carbon.html Environment Tue, 23 Apr 2024 11:00:01 EDT news633081960 Researchers from CERM (Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules) at the University of Liège have just developed an innovative process for producing isocyanate-free, recyclable and biobased polyurethane (PU) foams by using a rapid foaming technology from room-temperature formulations. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-rapid-production-isocyanate-free-biobased.html Polymers Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:19:07 EDT news630580741 A team of chemical engineers at Zhejiang University, in China, has developed a way to convert polyurethane foams to 3D printing resins. In their paper published in the journal Nature Chemistry, the group describes their technique and possible ways the resins could be used. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-polyurethane-foams-3d-resins.html Polymers Wed, 06 Sep 2023 11:40:01 EDT news613214055 Polyurethane plastics are ubiquitous, used everywhere from mattresses to shoes. But once these products are no longer wanted, these materials litter landfills and oceans across the world. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-recycling-plastics-life-rebuild-polyurethane.html Polymers Tue, 29 Aug 2023 15:24:36 EDT news612541472 Senior Researcher Lim Sang-gyu, leading a team of researchers at the Department of Energy Convergence Research, DGIST, achieved a remarkable milestone with the development of an eco-friendly thermoplastic polyurethane boasting a staggering biocarbon content of 97%. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-polyurethane-widely-daily-life-eco-friendly.html Polymers Wed, 09 Aug 2023 11:01:41 EDT news610797696 It created something of a stir back in 2022, when researchers from Aarhus University announced a new and inexpensive way of breaking down polyurethane (PU) plastic into its original components, which can then be recycled into new PU material instead of ending up in landfills or incinerators. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-mattresses-simple-chemistry-recycle-polyurethane.html Polymers Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:54:03 EDT news610127641 Polyurethane is highly elastic, wear resistant and durable, and is used, for example, in cushions, fibers, thermal insulation materials, dyes, adhesives and automobile parts. Polyurethane is an industrially-important polymer material, with an estimated worldwide market value of 75 billion dollars. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-method-polyurethane-synthesis-fluorine-compound.html Polymers Fri, 21 Jul 2023 11:54:42 EDT news609159278 A new plant-based substitute for polyurethane foam eliminates the health risk of the material, commonly found in insulation, car seats and other types of cushioning, and it's more environmentally sustainable, our new research shows. https://phys.org/news/2023-01-foams-car-seats-mattresses-hard.html Materials Science Fri, 06 Jan 2023 07:40:01 EST news592212807 A team of researchers from the Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM) at the University of Liège (Belgium) has developed an innovative process that rethinks the manufacturing of polyurethane (PU) foams without the use of isocyanates—highly toxic agents—while being recyclable. This study is published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition. https://phys.org/news/2022-11-sustainable-recyclable-polyurethane-foams.html Polymers Tue, 29 Nov 2022 12:37:48 EST news588947865 Plastics, now ubiquitous in the modern world, have become a rising threat to human and environmental health. Around the planet, evidence of plastic pollution stretches from grocery bags in the deep sea to microplastics in our food supplies and even in our blood. https://phys.org/news/2022-09-sea-plastic-pollution-material-biodegrades.html Materials Science Thu, 22 Sep 2022 10:00:04 EDT news583050021 Devastating residential blazes and wildfires take a terrible toll in terms of deaths and injuries, as well as property loss. Today, researchers will report on a new type of coating that could limit the flammability of wood used in construction, potentially providing more time to escape fires and also curbing their spread. The environmentally friendly flame retardant could also be used for other flammable materials, such as textiles, polyurethane foam and 3-D-printed parts. https://phys.org/news/2022-03-wooden-materials-fire-resistant-eco-friendly-coating.html Materials Science Tue, 22 Mar 2022 05:00:05 EDT news567141695 When a person experiences a trauma that leads to significant bleeding, the first few minutes are critical. It's important that they receive intravenous medication quickly to control the bleeding, but delivering the medication at the right rate can prove challenging. Slower infusions can cause fewer negative reactions, but the medication might not work fast enough, particularly in the case of a serious trauma. https://phys.org/news/2021-11-approach-nanoparticles-internal.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 23 Nov 2021 16:38:11 EST news556907889 Polyurethane is one of the world's most widely used plastic materials, but it's often overlooked in our daily lives. Yet whether you're at home, at work or in your vehicle, it is usually not far away, with common end uses ranging from mattresses and furniture cushioning to building insulation, car parts and even the soles of shoes. https://phys.org/news/2021-11-sustainable-future-common-plastic.html Environment Fri, 19 Nov 2021 09:29:45 EST news556536582 Numerous plastic products are made of polyurethanes. Fraunhofer researchers have developed a manufacturing method for polyurethanes that avoids use of toxic isocyanates while making use of carbon dioxide as a starting material. Polyurethanes of a reproducible standard are being developed in collaboration with partners from industry. The research results can be seen from November 15 to 18 at MEDICA 2021 in Düsseldorf (hall 3, stand E74). https://phys.org/news/2021-11-medical-applications-sporting-goods-biocompatible.html Polymers Tue, 02 Nov 2021 09:26:27 EDT news555063984 A research group led by Prof. Zhu Jin at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), has synthesized a high-efficiency carbon nanotube (CNT) modified lignin-based polyurethane adsorbent for crude oil spill remediation, in cooperation with Prof. Chen Tao's group at NIMTE and Prof. Yan Ning's group at the University of Toronto (U of T). The study was published in the Chemical Engineering Journal. https://phys.org/news/2021-03-degradable-lignin-based-polyurethane-adsorbent-efficient.html Polymers Mon, 15 Mar 2021 08:10:05 EDT news535014330 Every year around 734 million tons of wheat straw are produced worldwide, a large amount of waste, which is cheap and has had no well-defined use until now. Recently, the RNM-271 Chemical Engineering and FQM-383 NANOVAL Organic Chemistry research groups at the University of Córdoba have been able to give a new use to this agricultural excess material, by using it as the foundation in order to manufacture polyurethane foams. https://phys.org/news/2021-01-biodegradable-polyurethane-foams-wheat-straw.html Polymers Tue, 19 Jan 2021 13:14:26 EST news530284458 Without it, the world might be a little less soft and a little less warm. Our recreational clothing might shed less water. The insoles in our sneakers might not provide the same therapeutic arch support. The wood grain in finished furniture might not "pop." https://phys.org/news/2020-09-scientists-companies-chemistry-greener-polyurethane.html Materials Science Fri, 25 Sep 2020 08:09:23 EDT news520240148 As the world's most popular shoe, flip-flops account for a troubling percentage of plastic waste that ends up in landfills, on seashores and in our oceans. Scientists at the University of California San Diego have spent years working to resolve this problem, and now they have taken a step farther toward accomplishing this mission. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-science-biodegradable-algae-based-flip-flops.html Materials Science Fri, 07 Aug 2020 01:13:49 EDT news515981616 Researchers have developed a new method for upcycling polyurethane foams, the spongy material found in mattresses, insulation, furniture cushions and shoes. https://phys.org/news/2020-04-upcycling-spongy-plastic-foams-mattresses.html Materials Science Wed, 29 Apr 2020 08:00:01 EDT news507361510 There may be a small answer to one of the biggest problems on the planet. https://phys.org/news/2020-03-scientists-microbe-degrade-polyurethane-based-plastics.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 27 Mar 2020 00:00:01 EDT news504451811 Polyurethane waste is piling up in landfills, but scientists have a possible solution: They have developed a method to make polyurethane degradable. Once the original product's useful life is over, the polymer can easily be dissolved into ingredients to make new products such as superglue. These polyurethanes could also be used in microscopic capsules that break open to release cargo such as biocides. https://phys.org/news/2019-08-polyurethane-degradable-components-life.html Materials Science Mon, 26 Aug 2019 05:00:07 EDT news486011500 Polyurethane is used in a wide range of materials, including paints, foam mattresses, seat cushions and insulation. These diverse applications generate large amounts of waste. A team at the University of Illinois has developed a method to break down polyurethane waste and turn it into other useful products. https://phys.org/news/2019-08-technique-polyurethane-life.html Materials Science Mon, 26 Aug 2019 05:00:01 EDT news486010137 Specially developed foams could help avert a global food security crisis by replacing fast-degrading soils, according to scientists. https://phys.org/news/2019-05-soil-foam-global-food-crisis.html Plants & Animals Mon, 20 May 2019 08:29:47 EDT news477559779