The Effect of TiO_2 Nanostructures on Self-degrading Polyurethane Foams

摘要

Waste polyurethane foams are becoming a serious environmental problem due to their low degradation rates upon exposure to the environment. By adding TiO_2 nanostructures as a photocatalyst, we can simultaneously enhance mechanical properties during use for higher performance applications, while enhancing degradation when exposed to light when placed in landfills. In this work, we integrated anatase TiO_2 nanoparticles into polyurethane foams using a unique bifunctional monomer approach and studied the photodegradation ability and mechanism in a weathering chamber simulating natural environmental conditions. We found that the TiO_2 nanoparticles increased the degradation rate in a significant manner showing the utility of this approach.