Polyurethane is a versatile material that can replace various substances in different industries. It’s made by combining diisocyanate and diol, resulting in a base material that can be liquid, foam or solid. Polyurethane can be elastic or stiff, making it useful in various applications such as cart wheels and airport seats. It’s also used to protect surfaces from rotting, corrosion or fading and as an adhesive that resists moisture and heat.
Polyurethane is a resilient, flexible, and durable manufactured material that can replace paint, cotton, rubber, metal, or wood in thousands of applications in virtually every industry. It can be hard like fiberglass, soft like upholstery foam, protective like paint, bouncy like rubber, or sticky like glue. Since its invention in the 1940s, polyurethane has been used in a wide variety of items, from children’s toys to airplane wings, and continues to be adapted to contemporary technology.
How it’s done
This substance is classified as a polymer, a molecule made up of a series of smaller, repeating units called monomers, based on its chemical structure. It is produced by combining two types of compounds, a diisocyanate and a diol, which are monomers, through a chemical reaction. This makes for a base material whose variations can be stretched, shattered or scratched and will remain fairly indestructible. Depending on the different diisocyanates and diol or polyol constituents, the resulting polyurethane could be in the form of a liquid, foam or solid. Each form has its advantages and limitations.
elastomers
Some polyurethanes are classified as elastomers. It has elastic properties while retaining some stiffness, which is beneficial for items such as cart wheels, which need to absorb shock without compressing too much. Polyurethane can be extremely flexible when used as foam insulation in construction or as a foam cushion in upholstery. It can be deformed over and over again while maintaining its original shape. In other words, it has what is called structural memory.
thermoplastics
Other polyurethane is a thermoplastic material that looks like other types of plastic, metal, or fiberglass. Thermoplastics are stiff and smooth, with a sealed waterproof surface. These are used when strength and durability are important, such as in seats in an airport terminal or in the packing cases on a truck. Some thermoplastic polymers are difficult to recycle, but can be reused.
Many other uses
Polyurethane is found in every room of the house and in virtually every building. Since this material became popular during World War II, the polymer has protected, reinvented, joined or transported countless objects. Seals surfaces such as wood, metal and paint to protect them from rotting, corrosion or fading. As an adhesive, polyurethane resists moisture and heat, so it’s ideal for use in the sun or underwater. It also insulates walls, temperature controlled vehicles and consumer coolers.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
