FAQ's - Why Use Polyurethane
Polyurethane elastomers are one of the toughest materials that can be used in a variety of applications, where conventional plastics, rubber, and metals cannot perform adequately. Due to their unique and dynamic properties, polyurethane materials are used very effectively in the following industries:
- Off highway machinery
- Heavy automotive applications
- Agricultural equipment
- Mining Industry
- Defence Industry
- Sports and Recreation
- Prototype development
Some of the exceptional characteristics of polyurethane elastomers are:
- Outstanding abrasion resistance in both dry and wet environments
- High rebound and resilience
- High elongation
- High load bearing capability
- Ability to bond to other materials such as metals, plastics, and rubber
- Corrosion resistance
- Good electrical insulation property
FAQ's - About Polyurethane
Polyurethane is a unique material that offers the elasticity of rubber combined with the toughness and durability of metal. Because urethane is available in a very broad hardness range (eraser-soft to bowling-ball-hard), it allows the engineer to replace rubber, plastic and metal with the ultimate in abrasion resistance and physical properties.
Polyurethane can reduce plant maintenance and OEM product cost. Many applications using this ultra-tough material have cut down-time, maintenance time and cost of parts to a fraction of the previous figures.
Urethanes have better abrasion and tear resistance than rubbers, while offering higher load bearing capacity. Compared to plastics, urethanes offer superior impact resistance, while offering excellent wear properties and elastic memory.
Urethanes have replaced metals in sleeve bearings, wear plates, sprockets, rollers and various other parts, with benefits such as weight reduction, noise abatement and wear improvements being realized.
FAQ's - Advantages to Polyurethane
Abrasion resistant
Parts made of polyurethane will often outwear other materials by a margin of 5 to 50/one when severe abrasion is a factor. It has been proven to be vastly superior to rubber plastics and metal in many applications.
Oil and solvent resistant
Polyurethane has excellent resistance to oils, solvents, fats, greases and gasoline.
Load bearing capacity
Polyurethane has a higher load-bearing capacity than any conventional rubber. Because of this characteristic, it is an ideal material for load wheels, heavy duty couplings, metal-forming pads, shock pads, expansion joints and machine mounts.
Tear resistant
Tear-strength ranges between 500-100 Ibs./linear inch, which is far superior to rubbers. As a result, urethane is often used as drive belts, diaphragms, roll covers, cutting pads, gaskets and chute liners.
Weather resistant
Polyurethane has outstanding resistance to oxygen, ozone, sunlight and general weather conditions.
Excellent noise abatement properties
The hard urethanes are now being used as gears in products where engineers desire sound reduction. The soft urethanes are used to replace rubbers for improved sound/vibration dampening.
Flex-Life
Most formulations offer extremely high flex-life and can be expected to outlast other elastomer materials where this feature is an important requirement. Dust boots, bellows, diaphragms, belts, couplings and similar products are made from urethane for this reason.
Electrical properties
Polyurethane has excellent electrical insulating properties and is used successfully in many moulded wire and cable harness assemblies.
Heat and cold resistant
Continuous use above 225°F is not recommended nor is urethane recommended in hot water over 175°F. At low temperatures, polyurethane will remain flexible down to -90°F. Gradual stiffening will occur at 0°F, but will not become pronounced until much lower temperatures are obtained.