History: Polyurethane (Often Abbreviated PUR and PU) Is A Commonly Encountered

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Polyurethane 

(often abbreviated PUR and PU) is a commonly encountered polymer composed


of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such
as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane is produced from a wide range of starting materials
(monomers) and is therefore a class of polymers, rather than a distinct compound. This chemical
variety allows for polyurethanes with very different physical properties, leading to an equally wide
range of different applications including: rigid and flexible foams, varnishes and coatings,
adhesives, electrical potting compounds, and fibres such as spandex and PUL. Of these, foams are
the largest single application, accounting for 67% of all polyurethane produced in 2016.[1]
Polyurethane polymers are traditionally and most commonly formed by reacting a di-
or triisocyanate with a polyol. Since polyurethanes contain two types of monomers, which polymerise
one after the other, they are classed as alternating copolymers. Both the isocyanates and polyols
used to make polyurethanes contain, on average, two or more functional groups per molecule.
Global production in 2019 was some 25 million metric tonnes,[2] accounting for about 6% of all
polymers produced in that year. This is a sufficiently high volume for it to be regarded as
a commodity plastic.

Contents

 1History
 2Chemistry
 3Raw materials
o 3.1Isocyanates
o 3.2Polyols
o 3.3Bio-derived materials
o 3.4Chain extenders and cross linkers
o 3.5Catalysts
o 3.6Surfactants
 4Production
 5Health and safety
 6Manufacturing
o 6.1Dispensing equipment
o 6.2Tooling
 7Applications
 8Degradation and environmental fate
o 8.1Effects of visible light
o 8.2Hydrolysis and biodegradation
 9See also
 10References
 11External links

History[edit]
Prof. Otto Bayer in 1952 demonstrating his creation

Otto Bayer and his coworkers at IG Farben in Leverkusen, Germany, first made polyurethanes in
1937.[3][4] The new polymers had some advantages over existing plastics that were made by
polymerizing olefins or by polycondensation, and were not covered by patents obtained by Wallace
Carothers on polyesters.[5] Early work focused on the production of fibres and flexible foams and PUs
were applied on a limited scale as aircraft coating during World War II.[5] Polyisocyanates became
commercially available in 1952, and production of flexible polyurethane foam began in 1954 by
combining toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and polyester polyols. These materials were also used to
produce rigid foams, gum rubber, and elastomers. Linear fibers were produced from hexamethylene
diisocyanate (HDI) and 1,4-Butanediol (BDO).
In 1956 DuPont introduced polyether polyols, specifically poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol,
and BASF and Dow Chemical started selling polyalkylene glycols in 1957. Polyether polyols were
cheaper, easier to handle and more water-resistant than polyester polyols, and became more
popular. Union Carbide and Mobay, a U.S. Monsanto/Bayer joint venture, also began making
polyurethane chemicals.[5] In 1960 more than 45,000 metric tons of flexible polyurethane foams were
produced. The availability of chlorofluoroalkane blowing agents, inexpensive polyether polyols,
and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) allowed polyurethane rigid foams to be used as high-
performance insulation materials. In 1967, urethane-modified polyisocyanurate rigid foams were
introduced, offering even better thermal stability and flammability resistance. During the 1960s,
automotive interior safety components, such as instrument and door panels, were produced by back-
filling thermoplastic skins with semi-rigid foam.
In 1969, Bayer exhibited an all-plastic car in Düsseldorf, Germany. Parts of this car, such as
the fascia and body panels, were manufactured using a new process called reaction injection
molding (RIM), in which the reactants were mixed and then injected into a mold. The addition of
fillers, such as milled glass, mica, and processed mineral fibres, gave rise to reinforced RIM (RRIM),
which provided improvements in flexural modulus (stiffness), reduction in coefficient of thermal
expansion and better thermal stability. This technology was used to make the first plastic-body
automobile in the United States, the Pontiac Fiero, in 1983. Further increases in stiffness were
obtained by incorporating pre-placed glass mats into the RIM mold cavity, also known broadly
as resin injection molding, or structural RIM.
Starting in the early 1980s, water-blown microcellular flexible foams were used to mold gaskets for
automotive panels and air-filter seals, replacing PVC polymers. Polyurethane foams have gained
popularity in the automotive realm, and are now used in high-temperature oil-filter applications.
Polyurethane foam (including foam rubber) is sometimes made using small amounts of blowing
agents to give less dense foam, better cushioning/energy absorption or thermal insulation. In the
early 1990s, because of their impact on ozone depletion, the Montreal Protocol restricted the use of
many chlorine-containing blowing agents, such as trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11). By the late
1990s, blowing agents such as carbon dioxide, pentane, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a)
and 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane (HFC-245fa) were widely used in North America and the EU,
although chlorinated blowing agents remained in use in many developing countries. Later, HFC-
134a was also banned due to high ODP and GWP readings, and HFC - 141B was introduced in
early 2000s as an alternate blowing agent in aforementioned developing nations.[6] 1,1-Dichloro-1-
fluoroethane (HCFC-141b) was introduced in early 2000s as an alternate blowing agent in
developing nations.[citation needed]

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