Technical characteristics of polyurethane
Polyurethane (PU or PUR) is a rubbery copolymer material that exists in various forms. The most unique feature of polyurethane is that it is manufactured directly as a final product. Other plastics, such as polyethylene, are first produced in powder form and then molded into the desired shape. Polyurethane is usually black, red, blue, orange, brown, yellow, or green in color, and its operating temperature ranges from -62°C to +93°C (it can withstand temperatures of 120°C to 130°C for short periods). This material is versatile and has a wide range of excellent properties:
● high tensile and compressive strength, flexibility, durability;
● resistance to abrasion, tearing, cutting, grease, oil, petroleum products, extreme temperatures and various environmental conditions, most abrasives and chemicals, mold, and mildew;
● good shock and vibration absorption, good electrical insulation properties;
● perfect adhesion to other materials (metal, wood, other plastics);
● short production time, which means low production costs and a wide range of product weights.
Polyurethane applications
Polyurethane is an economical and safe material used in a wide variety of unexpected areas. It is perfectly suited for use in transport (e.g., car armrests, headrests, bodies, bumpers, spacers, gearboxes), construction (e.g., concrete structure protection, various panels, concrete molds), textiles (e.g., as much as 85% of elastane fiber is made of polyurethane), and other industries. It is also used in the manufacture of sports equipment (e.g., golf clubs, tennis rackets, and surfboards), a wide variety of parts (e.g., bushings, bearings, rollers, couplings, connectors, rings, rollers, inserts, liners), chains (e.g., for snow removal), scrapers (for conveyor belts or for removing dirt and dust from streets). Due to its extremely high load-bearing capacity, polyurethane is ideal for the manufacture of shopping trolley wheels, and its exceptional impact and wear resistance make it suitable for use as a covering for bowling alleys. When implementing various traffic solutions or installing car parks, brightly colored signal posts are used, which are also made of polyurethane! These posts are flexible, impact-resistant, easy to install/remove, and require no special maintenance. It may sound unbelievable, but even NASA uses polyurethane in the manufacture of spacecraft hulls.
