Polyol from Spent Coffee Grounds: Performance in a Model Pour-in-place Rigid Polyurethane Foam System

The objective of this study was to produce a polyol from spent coffee grounds via acid liquification process that meets performance requirements for use in polyurethane applications. The spent coffee grounds based polyol was characterized and evaluated on a fully catalyzed model rigid polyurethane foam system. The pH of the polyol was 6.8, acid value 4.12 mg KOH/g, and hydroxyl value 302.6 mg KOH/g, which are in the range of polyols used in rigid polyurethane foams. The reactivity study confirmed enhanced reactivity of the spent coffee grounds polyol compared to standard sucrose-glycerol initiated polyether polyols, which can be attributed to higher content of primary reactive hydroxyls. Scanning electron microscopy microphotographs of the foams prepared with 10%, 20%, and 30% spent coffee grounds polyol based on total polyols in the formulation revealed a drained dodecahedron type cell structure with intact cell windows as a clear indication of the closed cell structure typical for the rigid polyurethane foams used in thermal insulation applications. Results of this study confirmed the feasibility to produce polyols from spent coffee grounds with performance characteristics suitable for polyurethane application. The fact that spent coffee grounds are readily available industrial waste generated in instant coffee manufacturing, makes this biomass residue a sustainable source of raw materials for scalable production of polyols for polyurethanes.