look what we did!Innovations From Polyurethane Manufacturers

The Key to Delivering Hot Foods Is in the Bag

More than 85 percent of Americans will attend a holiday get-together this year. Of these, many will be bringing a dish to share with guests, and quite a few revelers will have polyurethane to thank for keeping their party foods hot.

You may already know polyurethane is a great insulator – often refrigerators are lined with polyurethane to keep foods cold, but did you know PU can also be used as a portable way to keep foods warm as well?

For years, pizza delivery drivers have been using polyurethane-foam insulated bags to keep their Italian offerings piping hot – from...

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Polyurethane Helps Usher in a New Era of Outdoor Art

Among high-net-worth art aficionados, a new trend is emerging that has masterpieces being created exclusively for life alfresco. Outdoor artwork often consists of grand-scale sculptures and installations that play with the landscape and elements like scenery, color and background.

In creating these commissioned pieces, artists are faced with a unique challenge. Their work must not only be creatively intriguing, it must also be able to withstand inclement weather, freezing or scorching temperatures and even pollution with little service and upkeep required.

While the construction of some pieces uses more traditional elements like steel, aluminum or brass, others are far more...

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Polyurethane Compound Quiets Cars & Lightens the Load

In the world of automotive innovation, engineers and designers are constantly looking to make cars faster and lighter, as well as for ways to dampen cabin noise.

Today, one domestic car manufacturer is turning to graphene-enhanced polyurethane foam to create under-the-hood parts that could have far-reaching implications for the automotive world. 

Even to those unfamiliar, it is easy to see why some have dubbed graphene the “material of the future.” The substance is thin, flexible and 200x stronger than steel. It also has high noise-dampening qualities.

Now, one car maker is combining graphene with polyurethane and using the compound to...

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2018 Polyurethane Innovation Award Honors Technical Achievement

Since its introduction to the world in the 1930s, polyurethane has continued to impact and improve daily life for much of the global population. Today, thanks to the actions of an active, imaginative and inquisitive polyurethane industry, the boundaries of scientific achievement and discovery are ever expanding. Each new year brings scientific breakthroughs; results once thought only to be the stuff of imagination a few short years ago are now commonplace.

While the introduction of a new polyurethane-based product to the marketplace can bring short-term excitement, the product itself is often the result of years of research, technical labor and...

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Synthetic Suede’s Rise to Luxury Auto Interiors

From kangaroo to ostrich to calfskin, animal products have long been hyped as the most popular and, therefore, greatest options for interior automotive design. Today, thanks to polyurethane, a new – though perhaps unexpected – high-water mark for luxury upholstery has been established with the introduction of synthetic suede.

A vegan product made from two-thirds polyester and one-third polyurethane, synthetic suede is a great modern-day fabric option.

Thanks to the rise in car-sharing and high-end driving services, today’s luxury interiors must be prepared to withstand tremendous amounts of passenger wear and tear – and synthetic suede can take a beating....

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Cornhole Takes Aim with Polyurethane

Baseball may be America’s national pastime, but as cornhole becomes a more common sight at tailgate parties, backyard barbecues and breweries, it may soon be issuing a formal challenge to baseball for the title. An impressive feat for a simple game played with just a few bean bags and two boards, but simplicity may be what makes cornhole so appealing.

The game is becoming so popular that several made-for-purchase, pre-fab sets have entered the marketplace, which can be a good option for rookies just getting familiar with the game. However, enthusiasts will tell you the true hallmark of any cornhole...

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Shoe Designers Zero in on Running Shoe Perfection

The mechanics of proper running have long been a mystery, but thanks to researchers at the University of Massachusetts, we finally have better insights on ideal running form: the conclusion is that there is really no wrong way to run.

It turns out we all have slightly different running strides. When left to their own devices, our bodies will naturally find the most efficient and safest way to cover ground as quickly as possible.

That means just like our fingerprints, no two footstrikes – the place on the foot that first contacts the ground when we run — are the...

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A Polyurethane-Fueled Transportation Craze Turns 20

More than 20 years ago, Swiss inventor Wim Ouboter was looking for a safe and efficient way of getting around his home city of Zurich when he hit upon a new idea for two-wheeled transport. The journey between Ouboter’s home and his favorite bratwurst stand was only a few miles – a term he later coined a “micro-distance,” too far to travel on foot but too short to travel by bicycle or car. While thinking up how to solve his transportation dilemma, inspiration struck in the form of a well-worn childhood favorite, the scooter.

Growing up, Ouboter and his siblings...

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Polyurethane Makes Wearable Technology a Reality

Imagine a world in which you could control the television simply by tapping on your shirtsleeve. While it may seem like the stuff of science fiction, thanks to polyurethane, the seamless integration of wearable technology into our daily lives is a greater possibility than ever before.

What the industry has taken to calling “e-textiles” are nothing new; however, significant barriers to scaling the technology for broad consumption have remained in place. Until now, e-textiles have been too expensive, too cumbersome and too difficult to maintain, but all of that could soon be changing.

A group of researchers in Beijing are...

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