look what we did!Innovations From Polyurethane Manufacturers

Spray or Slather: Polyurethane Helps Personal Care Products Perform

We often think of polyurethane applications on a large scale: making buildings stronger or helping to make cars and trucks more lightweight. But at a microscopic level, polyurethane polymers are helping make personal care products — such as hairspray and sunscreen — better, too.  

Researchers at Covestro developed an application for polyurethane polymers that promotes formation of breathable films and meets ISO standards for naturally derived ingredients. These films are odorless, clear and resist flaking, which makes them especially well-suited for hair and skin products.

Applications for Hair Care

From the runway to the everyday, people want hair care products...

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How Polyurethane Can Help You Keep Your New Year Resolution

This year, you may join the more than 45 percent of Americans making a New Year’s resolution. But did you know only 8 percent of resolutions are actually kept? 

Thankfully, polyurethane is here to play a part in helping you meet your goals – in ways you may never have even imagined: 

Have some home improvement plans?

If you are looking to update your home, consider accent and detail pieces made from polyurethane. The material is incredibly versatile. It can be made to mimic the look of wood and metal, and it can also be used to form almost everything...

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Polyurethane Means Business for the U.S. Economy

Regular readers of this blog know polyurethane makes an impact on our lives with its many unique and innovative applications. But polyurethane is also an important contributor to the U.S. economy in ways that reverberate throughout the supply chain. 

A recent report by the American Chemistry Council took a look at the business of polyurethane in the United States today. Among its findings:

Polyurethane Generates Jobs 

One of polyurethane’s most far-reaching impacts is in job creation. While the industry directly employs nearly 270,000 individuals across the country, for every one of those jobs, four other jobs are created. 

Known as...

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3D Printed Polyurethane Soles Spell Pain Relief for Patients

In the advanced stages of diabetes, neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease are common symptoms in patients. These symptoms can wreak havoc on the body, leaving the tissue on the soles of the feet fragile and easily damaged, which can lead to severe discomfort and even the need for amputation.

To help these patients, researchers in Germany have recently developed a form of 3D-printed polyurethane insoles. To prevent pressure wounds, the insoles provide varying degrees of firmness or softness to meet the specific needs of each foot. The insoles provide better support to areas on the bottom of the patient’s foot...

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Polyurethane Squishies Are A Top Toy of the Holiday Season

We’ve all heard of stuffed animals or stuffies — but what about squishies? These pillow-soft characters, usually in the shape of cute critters or objects, are expected to be a top toy of the holiday season. As the name implies, squishies – usually composed of polyurethane foam – are made for squishing. Once squashed, they regain their original shape usually in a matter of a few seconds.

Finding the Right Balance

For a toy manufacturer, the length of time required for a squishy to go from indiscernible mashed object back to its original shape can make all the difference between...

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Polyurethane Sponges Cut Through the Mess

It is likely you never consider what germs may be lurking in your household sponge. After all, a sponge is a more or less permanent fixture at kitchen sinks around the country, and the design of this domestic mainstay has remained virtually unchanged for the past several decades. 

But, the seemingly innocuous sponge harbors its own share of dirty secrets and is not without critics.

Among its detractors, the chief complaint about the sponge is that it offers a breeding ground for germs that can cause serious illnesses like E. coli poisoning. Food particles get stuck in the porous surface of the...

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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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