Polyurethane Properties and Design Considerations
Please use this Design Guide to explore the wide potential of polyurethane to solve your demanding challenges, and then contact us to help out with design, engineering, and production.
It’s a Rubber… It’s a Plastic… It’s a Polymer
Polyurethane is all of These!
Polyurethane bridges the performance gap between rubber and plastic. Like all polymers, its performance comes from its molecular make-up. Depending on the chemistry formulation and the reaction process, polyurethane’s end-state performance is tailorable to meet exactly what you need.
Maybe you need a material that’s flexible and tough… Or perhaps you’re looking for something that is rigid yet impact resistant. Polyurethane is both (and more)! That’s why we say polyurethane is the Ultimate Engineering Material.
Polyurethane Properties and Design Considerations
Please use this Design Guide to explore the wide potential of polyurethane to solve your demanding challenges, and then contact us to help out with design, engineering, and production.
It’s a Rubber… It’s a Plastic… It’s a Polymer
Polyurethane is all of These!
Polyurethane bridges the performance gap between rubber and plastic. Like all polymers, its performance comes from its molecular make-up. Depending on the chemistry formulation and the reaction process, polyurethane’s end-state performance is tailorable to meet exactly what you need.
Maybe you need a material that’s flexible and tough… Or perhaps you’re looking for something that is rigid yet impact resistant. Polyurethane is both (and more)! That’s why we say polyurethane is the Ultimate Engineering Material.
Countless Applications
Because of Three Key Advantages
Polyurethanes have outstanding abrasion resistance, often outwearing corresponding parts made of metal, plastic, or rubber by a wide margin.
Polyurethanes have an excellent load-bearing capability and exhibit deflection and recovery that far exceed plastic or metal.
Creating complex shapes is no problem for polyurethane because we mold it in its liquid state. Polyurethane can be permanently attached — or bonded — to metals, plastics, and composites during the molding process.
How Does Polyurethane Compare to Other Materials?
Let's Take A Look at Rubber, Plastic, and MetalVersus Rubber,
Polyurethane has
Better:
- Abrasion Resistance
- Cut and Tear Resistance
- Load-Bearing Capability
- Wear Life
Potential For:
- Complex Shapes
- Colorability
- Broader Hardness Range
- Lower Cost, Low-Pressure Tooling
Versus Plastic,
Polyurethane has
Better:
- Abrasion resistance
- Load-Bearing Capability
- Impact Resistance
- Elastic Memory
- Resilience
- Compression Set Resistance
- Low Operating Temperature
Potential For:
- Complex Shapes with Thin and Thick Sections
- A variable Coefficient of Friction
- Noise Reduction
- Lower Cost, Low-Pressure Tooling
Versus Metal,
Polyurethane has
Better:
- Abrasion Resistance
- Impact Resistance
- Flexibility
- Resilience
- Corrosion Resistance
Potential For:
- Weight Reduction
- Non-Conductive
- Non-Sparking
- Noise Reduction
- Lower Cost Molding vs. Metal Machining
- Lower Product Cost
Versus Rubber,
Polyurethane has
Better:
- Abrasion Resistance
- Impact Resistance
- Flexibility
- Resilience
- Corrosion Resistance
Potential For:
-
- Weight Reduction
- Non-Conductive
- Non-Sparking
- Noise Reduction
- Lower Cost Molding vs. Metal Machining
- Lower Product Cost
Versus Plastic,
Polyurethane has
Better:
- Abrasion Resistance
- Impact Resistance
- Flexibility
- Resilience
- Corrosion Resistance
Potential For:
- Weight Reduction
- Non-Conductive
- Non-Sparking
- Noise Reduction
- Lower Cost Molding vs. Metal Machining
- Lower Product Cost
Versus Metal,
Polyurethane has
Better:
- Abrasion resistance
- Load-Bearing Capability
- Impact Resistance
- Elastic Memory
- Resilience
- Compression Set Resistance
- Low Operating Temperature
Potential For:
- Weight Reduction
- Non-Conductive
- Non-Sparking
- Noise Reduction
- Lower Cost Molding vs. Metal Machining
- Lower Product Cost
What Performance Properties Are Important to You?
Because we engineer the polyurethane to best suit your application
Modulus of Elasticity
Tear Strength
Chemical Resistance
Modulus
Flame Resistance
Food Grade
Colors
Hardness
Compression Set
Temperature Range
Rebound
Electrical Resistivity
Coefficient of Friction
Colors
Tensile Strength
Modulus of Elasticity
Hardness
Tear Strength
Compression Set
Chemical Resistance
Temperature Range
Modulus
Rebound
Flame Resistance
Electrical Resistivity
Food Grade
Coefficient of Friction
Abrasion Reistance
Colors
Tensile Strength
Don’t see the property you are looking for? Contact us.
There Is Even More To Consider For Your Design
We’ll help – we understand these design considerations through and through
Moldability
Dimensional Tolerances
Load Application
Fatigue
Hysteresis
Bonding
Moldability
Load Application
Hysteresis
Dimensional Tolerances
Fatigue
Bonding
The Science Behind Polyurethane
This is What Makes "Amazing" Possible