Bio-derived polyurethane precursors from agricultural waste proteins
Principal Investigator
Prof. Ethayaraja Mani
Objective
- This project envisions creating a new generation of sustainable polyurethanes by combining waste to wealth and green biocatalysis strategies.
Description
- Polyurethane, which is widely used across foams, coatings, elastomers, and structural materials, is a significant polymer whose global market is growing at 8% CAGR, projected to exceed USD 120 billion by 2030, yet remains predominantly dependent on petroleum-derived polyols and diisocyanates. This IIT Madras project addresses this gap by combining agricultural waste proteins with green biocatalysis strategies to develop a truly renewable polyurethane system ? free of toxic intermediates ? delivering optimal mechanical and thermal properties, lower carbon footprints, and enabling industries to transition toward environmentally responsible materials without compromising performance or scalability
Impact
- The resulting bio-based polyurethane will exhibit optimal mechanical and thermal properties, Lower carbon footprints and enhanced sustainability. The innovation will help industries transition towards environmentally responsible materials with no compromise in performance and scalability