Reviving Old Mattresses: The Power of Chemistry in Polyurethane Recycling

Researchers at Aarhus University have developed a method to break down polyurethane foam mattresses into their monomeric building blocks, allowing for the extraction of polyol, a key component. By using this extracted polyol as a raw material, they have successfully replaced 64% of a mattress without compromising quality. The process, called solvolysis, offers a potential solution to the challenge of recycling polyurethane, which is difficult to recycle and often ends up in landfills. While the method is not applicable to all types of polyurethane, it represents a step towards a circular economy for flexible polyurethane foam.