Effect of Temperature and Time on Polyurethane Degradation in Deep Eutectic Solvents
Amirah Nasuha Mohd Razib, Mohd Sharizan Md Sarip, Nik Muhammad Azhar Nik Daud, Amirul Ridzuan Abu Bakar, Mohd Asraf Mohd Zainudin, Siti Kartini Enche Ab Rahim, Zuhaili Idham
Abstract. This study focuses on the degradation of polyurethane (PU) using deep eutectic solvents (DES) to support more environmentally friendly methods for recycling PU waste. The DES used in this study was prepared from choline chloride and analytical grade urea, a non-toxic compound widely used in fertilizers and pharmaceuticals, which are known to have low toxicity and a good ability to dissolve many materials including biomass-derived compounds, synthetic polymers and various metal oxides or salts. This makes them suitable for chemical recycling processes. The degradation experiments were conducted at different temperatures (160°C, 170°C, and 180°C) and for various heating times (2, 4, 6, and 8 hours). The results showed that complete degradation of PU occurred at 170°C after 8 hours and at 180°C after 4 to 8 hours. These results show that higher temperature helps to break down PU more effectively. The findings suggest that choline chloride and urea can be used as effective solvents for PU degradation under heat and can help to support safer and greener chemical recycling of plastic materials.
Keywords
Degradation, Polyurethane, Deep Eutectic Solvents
Published online 1/15/2026, 5 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Amirah Nasuha Mohd Razib, Mohd Sharizan Md Sarip, Nik Muhammad Azhar Nik Daud, Amirul Ridzuan Abu Bakar, Mohd Asraf Mohd Zainudin, Siti Kartini Enche Ab Rahim, Zuhaili Idham, Effect of Temperature and Time on Polyurethane Degradation in Deep Eutectic Solvents, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 60, pp 64-68, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903971-9
The article was published as article 9 of the book Frontiers of Chemical and Materials Engineering
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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