Talk:Polyurethane

message: Lots of red wording going on. Fairly ambitious to expect every one of those to be linked to given the specialism of the materials involved. Maybe just untag them? As whoever added them is probably one of the only people who knows what they are to an extent that he can write about them.
I suspect a large chunk of this article has been written by a chemist who works with these.
I'm all for the detail and passion, but darn! Even I, as someone who spends most of his free time and money buying chemistry gear and playing around in the garage, am struggling with the none broken blocks of tongue twisters. This is a prime example of where Pedia could learn from Encyclopedia Dramatica, and add compressed sections on the details that can then be expanded by people after the specifics.
Besides, not enough mention of paint for my liking. :D  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.24.47.178 (talk) 19:21, 19 October 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: I see a red word and I want to paint it black

message: 165.139.171.10 edited this page by adding the "carpet underlayment" bit. 165.139.171.10 21:27, 6 February 2004 (UTC)
thread_title: Carpet underlayment

message: As an avid sailor, I've used LP to paint several boats, but as of 2006-05-30, there is no mention of it in Wikipedia at all. I'd like to know how linear polyurethane differs from polyurethane. Also suggest adding its use as a paint-like coating, whether in a separate article linked from this one, or just in a subsection of this article.
:I suspect that linear polyurethane uses a diol with a di-isocyanate to give linear polymer molecules, while other polyurethanes use a triol to give a cross-linked molecular structure. --GCarty 17:37, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: How about Linear Polyurethane

message: Also it must say that it was invented by Otto Bayer in 1937 - Germany. 200.30.252.51 22:21, 9 October 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Inventor 

message: No hazards of polyurethane are listed.  This whole article looks like it was borrowed from somewhere on the net! 24.131.5.144 21:36, 16 December 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: I'm told it's sometimes implanted into the human body.  Since there hasn't been a controversy smilar to the one over silicone, perhaps it's not all that hazardous...though I'm sure the free monomers aren't very good for you.--Joel 01:54, 19 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  This article needs to become "well rounded" 

message: I'm removing the wikify template because it doesn't apply here. What the article needs is expansion, restructuring and support from references. Alan Pascoe 23:10, 20 February 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Removing wikify template 

message: The use of the term "urethane" for polyurethane resins has probably lead to mis-reporting of this substance to the USEPA under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).  Urethane, ethyl carbamate, is a probable human carcinogen - polyurethanes are not. They are not listed as a TRI substance, either.  Therefore, this clarification should help those required to submit TRI reports and those that need to interpret them. Oldsci 23:08, 12 May 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Urethanes versus "urethane" 

message: Somewhere in the back of my head is the thought that PU foam is used to core watercraft because it will not absorb water, unlike balsa.  But I could not find an appropriate wiki template to cite "the back of my head".  So if someone could confirm that and expand the watercraft section, thanks.--J Clear 02:04, 16 June 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: It seems pretty absorbant when I spill coffee on my chair cushions.  The reason it's used probably has more to do with manufacturing: you can just build a form, and pour the mix in, rather than trying to carve a big piece of wood and then build something around it.--Joel 01:57, 19 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  aquatic uses 

message: Does anyone know if canned polyurethane filler can be used on polystyrene, or is it likely to dissolve the polystyrene? T boyd 09:19, 25 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  polystyrene composites? 

message: I am interested to know if someone is putting together a chemistry section for this article. If the importance of this article is high, I feel that it is relevant to discuss the chemistry, the raw materials and the formulating of polyurethane systems separate from the production of finished goods.
P Cottontail 03:07, 16 April 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: A urethane group is an entity in organic chemistry that sometimes appears as part of a polymer backbone.  If a polymer has urethane groups in its backbone, it's called a polyurethane.  --Joel 02:01, 19 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Chemistry Section 

message: I'm surprised to see that this article doesn't mention the use of polyurethane in high-performance bushings and mounts.  It's a common material in almost every high-performance automotive aftermarket suspension bushing and motor or transmission mount, and is a very popular upgrade amongst enthusiasts.  Does anyone else feel like this should be added?
--Ioeth 21:48, 20 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Used for high-performance Bushings and Mounts 

message: [[User:Big Swede|15:26, 11 June, 2007 (PDT)
Polyurethane foams are also used extensively in structural and process-related applications.  High-density expanded urethane foam products (10-lb per cubic foot up to 50-lb per cubic foot) can be used as tooling substrates, and as materials for visual styling exercises, composite lay-up tools, vacuum-forming tools, and for construction of mold-patterns.
Rigid, high-density polyurethane foam cores (6 lb to 24-lb per cubic-foot density)can be found in various marine applications (boat transoms, bulkheads, decks, stringers, and hatch covers, used in combination with polyester-resins and fiberglass.
Special forms of rigid polyurethane foam having hydro-static pressure resistance have been used to provide flotation or neutral buoyancy for robot submersibles and for International Space Station components in test-assembly at NASA. These foams are capable of withstanding up to 350 psi hydrostatic pressure, making them useful to water depths up to 600 feet.
They are also used (in their 18-20-lb density flame-retardant forms) in aircraft interior stow-bins, class-divider panels, and in sidewall-panel detail parts when processed with aircraft-grade composite prepregs and linings.
Rigid, medium-density polyurethane foams have been used in explosive-blast mitigation, where the cellular-structure of the foam provides a disruption to the propagation of explosive-blast shock waves through air.  The energy absorbed by the crushing of these foams under blast-wave pressure, or the gas-pressure wave that follows an explosion, is considerable and has yet to be fully exploited in practice.
Rigid, high-density polyurethane foams with flame-retardant and intumescing additives are used in the construction of containment packages for nuclear and other hazardous-waste transport containers.  These vessels are designed to absorb hi-G impacts and then withstand 2300-degree fuel pool-fire conditions while keeping the contents inside at temperatures below the boiling-point of water.  Polyurethane foams are the materials of choice for these applications, replacing wood blocks and other more inconsistent and flammable materials.
Flexible, flame-retardant integral-skin expanded polyurethane foams are used in aircraft flight-deck applications for head-strike protection.  Similar polyurethane foams have been used as comfort-padding and as part of the man-machine interface in man-portable anti-tank weapons, and military electronic-surveillance devices where a person may be in intimate contact with the instrument for long periods of time.
Molded rigid polyurethane foams are used as packaging materials in submunition-carrying weapons systems.  They have also been used to create non-lethal "flash-bang" grenades, as well as stand-off devices for shaped-charge cutting systems for aircraft-ejection egress, and for detaching rocket motor nozzles from Space Shuttle SRBs.
High-density rigid foams (30-lb and higher) have been successfully employed as wood-replacement products in the construction of frozen-food warehouse structures.  The foam, in block-form, is placed under roof columns between the column-base and the concrete footing, providing a thermal-break.  This practice keeps cold inside the building, preventing freezing the soil around support structures.  Wood materials used in these applications in the past were prone to rot and structural collapse, as well as water-uptake, limiting the lifespan of these warehouse structures while allowing the loss of considerable energy through the roof-columns.
Big Swede 22:31, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Polyurethane Rigid Foam

message: In regards to the entry in the History section; the manufacture of polyols from soy oil as a "green" or an "environmentally friendly" process has been, in the United States at least, driven by soy bean growers and adjunct processors. Typical of the marketing campaign is the CompositesWorld article cited in the main article. I think the efficacy of soy oil polyols is overstated. A competing vegetable oil polyol is neat castor oil, which has been used to manufacture polyurethane products since at least 1974, see US Patent 3,959,573; or search the USPTO for "polyurethane castor oil" or "polyurethane" AND "castor oil". Castor oil, because of its high ricinoleic acid triglyceride content (about 90%), is a natural triol and requires little or no post processing to be used as a polyol. On the other hand, soybean oil has no hydroxyl content and must be post-processed to be used as a polyol. Poignant is the fact that the US accounts for about 1/3 of the world production of soybeans. India, on the other hand, is the primary global producer of castor oil. See the Wikipedia article on castor oil for comparative US domestic pricing, which is probably the real driving force behind the use of soy oil derived polyols.
P Cottontail 02:32, 14 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Soy Oil polyols

message: My intention is to reseed the information in the Production section, as intact is possible, into the existing History and Chemistry sections, and to-be-added Raw materials, Formulating, and Products (finished goods) sections. I would like to have the Production section describe the physical process and manufacturing of Polyurethane goods, although I may incorporate that info into the Products section.
Feedback on this is welcome.
Cheers, 
P Cottontail 16:02, 19 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Production

message: I am proposing to structure this article as follows,
I. History
II. Chemistry
III. Raw Materials
A. Isocyanates
B. Polyols
C. Catalysts
D. Surfactants
E. Flame retardants
F. Fillers
G. Other Additives
IV. Applications
A. Flexible Foam
B. Microcellular Foam
C. Integral Skin Foam
D. Rigid Foam
E. Elastomers
F. Adhesives and Sealants
G. Coatings
V. EH&S
VI. Process Equipmment
P Cottontail 17:14, 20 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Structure of Polyurethane article

message: Regarding reducing the number of subheaders, I am all for it. In my opinion, the way the subheaders are currently organized is wrong for the article. Things like glue, bookbinding, watercraft, watchband binding, tennis grip wraps, et cetera should be removed completely. I think most of their content belongs in an article titled the subheading. Most warrant incidental mention under subheadings such as flex foam, rigid foam, integral skin foam, adhesives and the like. I'll get around to it; I want to gather better content first before mucking up whats already in the article. P Cottontail 21:44, 27 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Subheaders 

message: Hey - I noticed a few mistakes in the "PU reaction mechanism catalyzed by a tertiary amine" scheme, so I took the liberty of uploading a corrected version (its called Polyurethane_mechanism.png).
I am new to Wikipedia so I can't figure out how to make it look right on the page - anyone care to help?
Groove Champion (talk) 04:37, 18 January 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  PU synthesis mechanism 

message: What is the typical temperature service range of the cured adhesive?
-69.87.200.177 (talk) 23:34, 29 April 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  temperature service range? 

message: Comment and question removed from article for consideration here:Skateboard wheels had previously been made of clay, and broke constantly. {Can somebody check this? I believe they were made of a phenolic material, and never knew of one breaking. The problem was that they were sensitive to debris, and every tiny stick or pebble would stop the board dead, while you went flying.  (In regards to phenolic, you would go flying, however phenolic will begin breaking if worn then exposed to moisture, the wheel will baloon and chunk.}
--Old Moonraker (talk) 12:35, 8 August 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Replacing clay wheels 

message: Does anyone have any data on whether polyurethanes degrade into their component substances over time?  I have repeatedly purchased plastic drink mugs whose lids are made of a black plastic (unhelpfully labeled with the  "7-Other" SPI recycling code) which I suspect must be polyurethane, because after a few months it starts to develop a smell distinctly reminiscent of urine.  This leads me to suspect the polyurethane is breaking down and releasing urea (into my drinking glass!), a disturbing possibility I'm looking to investigate in the hopes of figuring out how to avoid future incidence.  This article doesn't appear to address the question of what happens to polyurethanes over time, so my theory remains unproven.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Wpell (talk • contribs) 03:17, 14 October 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Degradation

message: I used polyurethane foams at my place of work but I always use rigid high density foam. I'd like to know what the diffences are and how to produce/use a flexible foam such as the one used in mattresses or the example of the car seat. N80krr (talk) 08:53, 24 February 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Apart from the obvious physical differences between rigid foam and flexible foam, the main difference is the size of the polyols used to make the polyurethane. Rigid foams use low molecular weight polyols while flexible foams use high molecular weight polyols. If the functionality (average number of reactive groups per molecule) is the same, this means that the rigid foams contain more crosslinks per unit mass than flexible foams. (Polyols for rigid foams often have a higher functionality than those intended for flexible foams, increasing the effect even more.) Imagine a lattice-work tower: as you increase the number of cross-braces the stiffer (more rigid) the tower becomes. The key then to making flexible foams is to use the right polyols, and these are typically trifunctional with molecular weights between 3000 and 6000 Daltons. Contact me on my talk page if you want more details. Silverchemist (talk) 14:41, 24 February 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Flexible Foam 

message: My father's greatest discovery as a stockbroker was a mid-sized independent chemical company, called Nopco, based in New Jersey — he made a lot of money for himself and all his clients by investing just as they were developing polyurethane, circa 1955-57. I had the impression they'd actually invented the stuff. They must have made some major development. We even had bedtime stories about Polly and Urethane yearning for each other through the glass of their test tubes, until finally their desire became so overwhelming the glass burst open and they merged in bubbling smoking ecstasy on the laboratory floor, and were discovered exhausted but united in the morning, in the form of a sponge. 
Nopco had a few other minor successes, but most of the company's value was due to its innovations in polyurethane. Nopco was purchased by Diamond Shamrock in the 1960s. Chelydra (talk) 12:16, 24 May 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Role of Nopco? 

message: I read in a site [] that Transparent polyurethane exists and is used as a better option than polycarbonate. Is this true?Agre22 (talk) 16:27, 13 October 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Transparent Polyurethane exist?

message: There are a few things chemically wrong with the mechanism as shown. After the second step there is a HYPERVALENT carbon ("texas carbon" or a carbon with 5 bonds). One of the bonds should be transferred to the oxygen. Also after the second step, the arrow points from the proton to the electrons--- by conventions arrows show the movement of ELECTRONS, not of protons. The arrow should point the other way.
I will gladly redraw the mechanism if no one has objections.
--Narkissos (talk) 22:15, 27 January 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: I can't tell you if you are right or wrong, but you'll probably have a better bet of getting your question answered at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Chemistry. Also, you might want to check out Wikipedia:Manual of Style (chemistry)/Structure drawing. Wizard191 (talk) 19:04, 28 January 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: PUaminemechanism.png is WRONG

message: Isocyanates will react with any molecule that contains an active hydrogen.
What's an "active hydrogen"? It is the hydroxyl oxygen that reacts with the isocyanate, not the hydrogen. And isocyanates are anyway likely to react with any nucleophile, not only those with a hydrogen bound.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.233.243.229 (talk) 23:22, 13 May 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Chemistry 

message: The introduction should have a (very) few well chosen words on why these polymers can be more elastomeric than others. It might help if some of the words used are later used in the chemistry secion by way of explanation.173.73.46.26 (talk) 20:26, 20 November 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Why elastomeric? 

message: The article IS lengthy, and as such, tends to lose direction, and it does need editing. There are a number of errors, or misleading statements, that need to be expanded on or corrected. For example,under isocyanates: "For example, light stable coatings and elastoemrs can only be obtained with aliphatic isocyanates." The writer either is not aware of diisocyanates like TMXDI, where the isocyanate functional group is hindered by the addition of 2 methyl groups on the C attached to the aromatic ring, which eliminates resonance with the aromatic ring and the aromatic sextet, or didn't bother to add that feature. I world dearly love to re-write the entire article, but I don't have the time. I have been in polyurethane research and development since 1960, and am still working full time in that arena, currently as senior scientist in a corporation. I also taught advanced chemistry courses at U Mass, in the Continuing Ed division, for 30 + years.
Polyurethane chemistry is a wonderful and can be quite technical arena.  There are so many reactions and usable monomers, so many manufacturing techniques, that even today, new formulas and new patents are constantly being issues. Polyols where one end functional group is replaced by a reactive acrylic functional group, etc. Hydromeds, TPUs, microcellular foams, fibers, adhesives, coatings and so many other areas.  ````HEG2011  — Preceding unsigned comment added by HEG2011 (talk • contribs) 16:05, 3 June 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: Sounds like you are well versed on this topic. As such, make edits as you see fit. If others disagree they will voice their opinion and it can be discussed on the talk page. Wizard191 (talk) 13:28, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

text: Knowing a bit about chemistry myself, I agree with shortcomings mentioned above. 
I believe a lot of people might search Polyurethane to find out what it's soluble in. Many do-it-yourselfers want to know how best to clean up spills and residue on hands, clothing, projects, etc.
This seems like a glaring omission to me; it was in fact the reason I came here in the first place.
Secondly, Quite some tonnage of polyurethane variants are manufactured annually for the agricultural industry for use as a slowly degrading coating for time released fertilizers, namely urea crystals. This should be included in industrial uses section.Mykstor (talk)  —Preceding undated comment added 17:46, 24 August 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Cleanup 

message: As a layman, with no chemical background whatsoever, I looked to this article for a layman's explanation of the subject. What I found, however, seems more suited for an advanced textbook, but not very helpful to me, at least. I suggest the article be revised into a general summary of the subject, and not try to duplicate technical information that can be found in a Chemistry textbook.66.108.5.20 (talk) 07:10, 21 July 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, please make the introduction much more layman-friendly, as per WP:TECHNICAL. -- SimonEast (talk) 06:10, 17 May 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  Way too technical 

message: I can't find an article on Urethane Rubber; this is the nearest article.   Does anyone know enough about Urethane Rubber to at least create a stub?   FreeFlow99 (talk) 21:02, 28 April 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  urethane rubber 

message: Substituted at 03:13, 30 April 2016 (UTC)
thread_title: Assessment comment

message: Having just added a paragraph based upon an article in The Sun about the Grenfell Building fire in London, I am officially uncertain.  The article in The Sun points the finger at polyurethane in external insulation as causing the fire.  When I look at the Wikipedia page that discusses the fire, though (Grenfell Tower fire), it refers to polyethylene.  This is a bit of a surprise, if I am correct in understanding how polyethylene burns (and if Wikipedia is correct about it).
Is anyone able to confirm which material is correct?  Given discussions I have heard about 'the proper material' vs. 'a cheap knock-off', it may be too early to be confident in this, unless there is some information I haven't seen about the Dubai fire; the correct information may only be available once the inquest hears relevant evidence.  At that time, presumably, it will be possible to ensure that this article, the (Grenfell Tower fire) article, and if necessary Wikipedia's polyethylene article can be updated as appropriate.  Thanks. Ambiguosity (talk) 10:00, 18 June 2017 (UTC)
replies: text: Given that the Sun article does not (any longer?) mention polyurethane, while the BBC mentions polyethylene, I've gone ahead and removed the paragraph in question. goffrie (talk) 01:43, 5 August 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  Is this the fire hazard you're looking for? 

message: Does anyone know why this edit was done? editor is not around or I'd ask. Teanks! HLHJ (talk) 05:01, 9 May 2020 (UTC)
replies: text: Appeares to have been a promotional account attempting to censor. I have restored the content. The  tag was unnecessary. –LaundryPizza03 (dc̄) 01:41, 3 June 2021 (UTC)
replies: text: Sorry, LaundryPizza03, I didn't know that account was promotional, so I thought there might be a better reason which I didn't understand. Sometimes it would be helpful to have possible-promotion flags in edit histories. Thank you for fixing. HLHJ (talk) 01:25, 4 June 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  Removal of info on banning of blowing agents 

message: The chemistry section currently describes these as being 'reaction polymers' - but that's not a term I'm familiar with and the google results for it are weak. It seems to originate from a book title rather than any technical usage. I think condensation polymer probably more appropriate. --Project Osprey (talk) 09:29, 3 August 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  Reaction polymers 

message: The bond depicted in the scheme says "polyurethane" bond. This is not the case, or is a urethane. 82.174.79.67 (talk) 23:33, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
replies: text: In this scheme :File:Polyurethane_synthesis.tif... we'll have to make an new image to fix that, which is annoying. --Project Osprey (talk) 00:45, 30 December 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  Small error in scheme in "chemistry"