look what we did!Innovations From Polyurethane Manufacturers

Polyurethane Helps Safeguard Food Supply

As breakthroughs in agriculture and farming help to feed a growing global population, polyurethane spray foam (SPF) insulation is doing its part to house crops and livestock and doing so in a more sustainable way.

SPF is one of the most efficient and readily available forms of insulation for agricultural and livestock buildings around the world. It helps maintain consistent temperatures in the cold of winter, stand up to excessive heat in summer and even delivers a layer of protection against moisture, pests and insects.

Here are just a few of the ways SPF insulation is helping farmers house our...

Read more here.

Will Polyurethane Supercapacitors Power the Prosthetics of Tomorrow?

As prosthetics grow ever more advanced — some now with a motorized function capable of grasping, pointing and even holding objects — one question remains: how will these futuristic limbs, which rely on considerable energy, be powered?

A Wearable Supercapacitor

Engineers at the University of Glasgow believe they have created a solution: a kind of electronic skin made from graphene, polyurethane and graphite that can generate and store solar energy for prosthetic devices. 

A thin layer of graphene acts as a solar converter, converting sunlight to electrical energy. The polyurethane-graphite composite sits below the graphene, acting as a supercapacitor that...

Read more here.

To Create a Better Lacrosse Ball Researchers Look to PU

Polyurethane is changing the sport of lacrosse for the better with a new kind of game ball that resists becoming greasy and avoids hardening over time. 

The Risk

Solid rubber has long been the primary material used in the production of lacrosse balls. Over time, however, additives and oils used in traditional balls can leech out, creating a sleek exterior on the surface that make the balls slippery. These materials also sometimes harden. When this happens, the balls lose their resiliency and their bounciness.

The Answer

Recently, Guardian Sports came up with a PU solution. The equipment manufacturer is producing...

Read more here.

Researchers Grow Food in Polyurethane Foam

Could plants grown in polyurethane foam be key to helping solve the world’s food crisis? Experts from the new Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield in England seem to think so. A group of researchers there has found that certain crops planted in polyurethane foam grow two to 10 times faster than plants grown in traditional soil.

How Do Plants Grow?

The polyurethane foam in which the plants are grown is treated with nutrients delivered via a network of pipes in a controlled environment. Today, researchers have successfully grown everything from salad greens to tomatoes in the polyurethane...

Read more here.

World’s Biggest Polyurethane Wind Turbine Unveiled

In the world of renewable wind energy, something big is happening. Really big. Engineers in the city of Zhuzhou in the Hunan province of China have completed delivery of a 13.7 ton 59.5-meter-long wind turbine blade — reported to be the world’s longest made from polyurethane.

The Polyurethane Advantage

The company that manufactured this giant wind turbine blade says that polyurethane has several advantages over traditional materials. Researchers found polyurethane to have better mechanical performance and higher fatigue resistance. They also say it bonds more easily to carbon fiber reinforcements that help the wind turbine blade maintain its structural integrity...

Read more here.

Sailors Take to the Seas with Polyurethane

Believe it or not, polyurethane plays a large role in helping American sailors stay safe when it comes to life out on the high seas.

For quick trips in small craft and regular shore patrols, the United States armed forces often use rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs). The boats are lightweight, high-performance watercraft capable of quick maneuvers and travel at high speeds.

As the name implies, the boats have a rigid hull but also use an inflatable tube, often referred to as a “collar,” along the lip of the hull. The collar acts like a life jacket of sorts, helping the...

Read more here.

Astronauts Blast Off with Polyurethane

When it came time to launch astronauts safely and comfortably into space, NASA scientists were looking for a one-size-fits-all solution to creating customized seating. After considering a variety of options, they turned to polyurethane.

While NASA’s primary mission has always been, “To provide for research into problems of flight within and outside the earth’s atmosphere and for other purposes,” the need to create safe travel into outer space is responsible for introducing technologies into our lives that we use every day.

The Problem

In the 1960s, NASA faced a problem. The agency needed to make seats on board their...

Read more here.

Recycled Polyurethane: It’s Under Your Feet & in Your Home

You may be surprised to find that polyurethane can be recycled and given a new life in any number of ways. In fact, you probably encounter recycled polyurethane in your daily life without ever realizing it’s there.

Carpet Underlay

For evidence, just check under your feet – literally. Carpet underlay, the mat that goes underneath carpets in homes and offices, is almost always made from rebonded polyurethane.

Rebonded polyurethane, called “rebond,” is a molded polyurethane recycled product made from pieces of shredded flexible polyurethane foam held together using what is known as a binder.

Recycling Statistics

According to the Carpet...

Read more here.

Polyurethane Helps Campers Stay Comfortable in the Great Outdoors

Warmer weather offers a great time to hit the trail. If you fancy yourself to be the adventurous type, you may even opt to spend a few nights in the great outdoors. Whether roughing it in your own backyard or in the deep recesses of one of our National Parks, you could have polyurethane to thank for helping to shelter you from the elements.

In hundreds – if not thousands – of tents on the market today, polyurethane plays an integral role in tent construction:

Floor coatings

Several tents use a polyurethane coating on their underside as protection. Polyurethane offers...

Read more here.