What is Polyurethane?

What Is Polyurethane?

Chances are that you are not a scientist, but more likely an engineer, buyer or manufacturer seeking to reduce cost and improve performance in your machinery or products. Polyurethanes are materials that offer a dynamic range of properties that can be tailored to an extraordinarily wide range of applications.

The Superior Choice

This is not to say that polyurethanes are the universal answer to all design challenges; however, they are often a superior choice to plastic, rubber and steel because they can embody the characteristics of all three. Polyurethanes can be formulated to resist chemicals, water, shearing and tearing, impact, heat and cold, and many other elements that cause traditional parts to wear prematurely and eventually fail.

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Properties & Advantages of Polyurethane

Cost Efficiency

Tooling for casting polyurethane parts is very economical, costing significantly less than molds for rubber or plastic. Polyurethane parts typically provide a substantial increase in product life over other materials, which translates to a better overall value.

Machinability

Polyurethanes can be machined with traditional tools, making polyurethane an economical choice for low production runs or prototype parts.

Bonding

Through proper treatment of the bonding surface, a high strength bond can be achieved to metals, polyurethanes and other substrates. In some cases, the bond strength can exceed the tear strength of the polyurethane itself.

Durometer

Durometer is the measurement of a material’s hardness. Polyurethanes range from 10 Shore A, about as soft as a rubber band, to 80 Shore D, about as hard as a bowling ball.

Abrasion Resistance

Reflects the ability to resist frictional wear. Generally, polyurethane exhibits excellent abrasion resistance, offering substantially better performance than rubber, plastic and many metals.

Tensile Strength

The measure of an elastomer’s ultimate strength when enough tension is applied to cause failure. Generally, polyurethane exhibits a high tensile strength when compared to other elastomers.

Temperature Resistance

Polyurethanes operate within a wide temperature range. Some elastomer formulations can retain their flexibility at temperatures below -60°F, while others can operate continually at temperatures in excess of 200°F.

Water Resistance

Polyurethanes can be formulated to resist the absorption of water. In fact, weight and swell are practically negligible even after prolonged exposure. This makes polyurethane an excellent choice in which tight tolerances must be maintained in wet conditions.

Chemical Resistance

Polyurethanes display excellent resistance to oil, grease and a wide range of chemicals; however, prolonged exposure to caustic acids, solvents and other heavy corrosives should be avoided. Simulated environmental testing should be performed to ensure part life.