Chemical Analyses of Palm Kernel Oil-Based Polyurethane Prepolymer

Polyurethane (PU) was prepared from palm kernel oil-based monoester polyol (PKO-p) via prepolymerization method at NCO/OH ratio of 200/100, 150/100, 100/100, and 75/100 at ambient temperature under nitrogen gas atmosphere. The structure of the synthesized prepolymerized PKO-p PU was determined using FTIR and 13C NMR. The disapperance of NCO peak in the FTIR spectrum at 2270 cm–1 - 2250 cm–1 cm showed that MDI has completely reacted to form PU. The appearance of C=O peak at 1700 cm–1 indicated that hydrogen bonding was formed between the soft segmented chain of the PKO-p and the hard segmented MDI. Hence, urethane bond was the main polymeric chain in the PU.