look what we did!Innovations From Polyurethane Manufacturers

Riding the Waves with Polyurethane: How Polyurethane is Revolutionizing Surfing

Catching some waves? Wave goodbye to splinters with polyurethane surfboards. Since surfing exploded into popular culture during the 1960s, polyurethane boards have been replacing their wooden counterparts at an accelerating rate.

First conceptualized in the Polynesia in the 1800s, the design of the surfboards has undergone a marked evolution over the past couple of centuries. Carving up the seas would have been an altogether more challenging task 200 years ago: the first surfboards were clunky, heavy, and difficult to ride, made from huge planks cut from trees (usually redwood). All that changed in the wake of World War II, when...

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Polyurethane at work to help the environment

How Polyurethane helps improve drainage and coastal stability

There’s an old saying: “When it rains, it pours.” This is certainly true of polyurethane’s environmental benefits because of its resistance to water.

Polyurethane’s inherent water resistance has helped create surfaces that mimic and coexist with nature while solving modern problems of stormwater runoff and erosion. Used as a binder for a number of different surfaces, polyurethane helps facilitate better water management in areas plagued by high rainfall levels and in coastal areas.

Stormwater Runoff

Stomwater runoff is one of the largest contributors of pollutants in our water systems. Water that travels...

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Triumph for Polyurethane Fashion at Ethical Awards

Designers from the Beyond Skin fashion label won the Sustainable Fashion Award at this year’s Observer Ethical Awards for their pioneering use of polyurethane in shoe design. Entrepreneurs Natalie Dean and Heather Whittle have been lauded for their eco-friendly footwear, with several of their faux-leather designs utilizing polyurethane. Celebrities from Natalie Portman to Anne Hathaway, Leona Lewis to Emma Watson, have sported shoes by the brand, which was founded in 2001.

Polyurethane’s flexibility makes it a key asset to designers striving to create the most stylish shoes, as it can be readily molded into a variety of shapes. Its durability ensures that...

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Polyurethane Doesn’t Take the Summer Off

Summer is here.

The sun is out, and the weather is warm.

And, believe it or not… Polyurethanes can add to the summer fun.

Polyurethane products can make beach and lake trips, picnics and little league games safer and more comfortable. Surfboards, floatation devices, boating equipment, sporting goods and outdoor furniture are all likely to be made from one of the many forms of polyurethane. Polyurethane is used to make products that range from grips on tennis racquets to the wheels of skateboards to inflatable rafts and slides to sports helmets and life jackets.

Impressed by the versatility of how...

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Sitting Pretty with Polyurethane

Polyurethane’s versatility and flexibility make it a perfect fit for furniture designers. After all, it makes sense to use a contemporary material for contemporary interiors. Whether you’re enjoying a relaxing seat or sinking back into a soft mattress, you can rely on polyurethane foam to provide both comfort and style.

The most widely used cushioning material for upholstered furniture, polyurethane can be molded easily. This allows craftspeople to experiment with innovative and exciting designs. It’s also extremely durable, and holds its shape – which means sofas, chairs and mattresses will too.  Both aesthetically and functionally, polyurethane is the obvious choice...

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Polyurethane: It’s Not Just for KICKS!

This summer, polyurethane steps onto the world stage.

Bayer MaterialScience teamed up with adidas® to design the official soccer ball for the World Cup. The company has been working with adidas® for nearly thirty years to design and improve soccer balls. This soccer ball, which has been named the ‘brazuca,’ is made with polyurethane raw materials.

Brazilian national soccer player Dani Alves was one of 600 soccer players to test the ball, and said in a Bayer MaterialScience press release, “My first impression of the brazuca is of a ball that is fantastic, and we’re going to have...

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Improving Roofing Systems with Less Waste

New construction materials are helping cities achieve better environmental footprints when renovating existing structures.

Spray polyurethane foam (SPF), specifically closed cell SPF, has long been used as a roofing material, particularly on flat roofs. SPF serves as insulation, an air barrier and a vapor retarder, protecting buildings from water and other elements. During installation, SPF can be sprayed directly over existing materials that, in many cases, do not have to be removed, which can reduce construction waste.

The application of SPF requires a blowing agent, sometimes known as a foaming agent, to help...

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Polyurethane Helps Auto Industry Meet Lightweighting Goals

The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), established a goal that model year 2025 vehicles will attain an average of around 50 miles per gallon (mpg). This is an approximate 40% increase in fuel efficiency over current levels. Auto manufacturers are keenly focused on creating lighter vehicles to meet this standard. In response to this need for lighter yet durable parts, the polyurethane industry is responding with new ways to incorporate polyurethane into different vehicle components.

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Moving Us Forward

We truly are living in the technological age. From the ways we communicate with one another, to how we do our jobs, all the way to how we entertain ourselves, technology has profoundly changed our lives.