Phase equilibria and surface tension in castor oil-based polyols-water-methanol mixture: Thermodynamic basis

Abstract

Considering the current environmental issues with petro-polymers, castor oil is a promising green alternative to the polyols to be used as the main raw material for polyurethane. However, the basic information regarding the processability of castor oil-based polyol (CP) such as its miscibility in different solvents is still elusive. Herein we have investigated the phase equilibria and surface tension of various CP solutions using thermo-optical analysis and pendent drop method, respectively. The modified double lattice (MDL) model was employed to theoretically describe those phase equilibria and surface behaviors. The phase diagrams of CPs/methanol binary systems represent upper critical solution temperature (UCST) behaviors, and CPs/methanol/water ternary systems show Treybal Type 2 behaviors. The surface tension results exhibit preferential solvent adsorption, which means affinity of the solvent to be present in surface is higher than that of the polymer. The calculated results showed good agreement with the experimental observations.