Polyurethane is very similar to a rubber or plastic. Unlike nylon or UHMW, urethane can be compounded to produce very soft parts, as low as 30A Durometer, or up to very hard, 75D Durometer. Polyurethane is ideal in high demand applications were normal rubber would fail.
Polyurethanes are formed by reacting a polyol (an alcohol with more than two reactive hydroxyl groups per molecule) with a diisocyanate or a polymeric isocyanate in the presence of suitable catalysts and additives. Because a variety of diisocyanates and a wide range of polyols can be used to produce polyurethane, a broad spectrum of materials can be produced to meet the needs of specific applications.
Urethane is found inside every vehicle and machinery used in material handling applications. Some polyurethane can stretch twice their size and return to original shape while others provide vibration dampening and extreme resistance to abrasion. Since 1954 Polyurethane compounds have been continually modified and allow processors to custom formulate material to fit many applications.
Polyurethane resin is considered versatile because it can be used to produce a wide variety of industrial parts, from urethane molded bearings to urethane-coated rollers. This is possible because the urethane resin can be processed to great extremes, which can customize physical properties such as the durometer and elasticity. In many cases, it’s produced in a liquid form and can be poured into aluminum molds also known as cast urethane.
