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3. Reducing isocyanate toxicity
Isocyanates are essential components in the preparation of PUs. However, with current health and environmental concerns (notably changes in REACH regulations) linked to the synthesis or use of isocyanates, research groups and industries are working intensively to replace isocyanates with safer alternatives and to use precursors of biobased origin. In this section, alternatives to isocyanates and strategies to reduce their toxicity are presented.
3.1 Phosgene-free isocyanate synthesis routes
Isocyanates can be difunctional or polyfunctional, aliphatic or aromatic. The most widely used aromatic diisocyanates are toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and methylene bis(phenyldiisocyanate) (MDI), mainly used in the form of polymeric MDI (figure
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Reducing isocyanate toxicity
Pathways to isocyanate-free polyurethanes
Bibliography
Regulations
Regulation n°2020/1149 of August 03, 2020 amending. Annex XVII of the REACH regulation
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