What is Polyurethane?

Polyurethane is a type of thermoset plastic. That means it hardens after the polymerization process and does not soften again. Since its discovery in 1937, it has been used in many fields with a wide variety of different properties.

Polyurethane was first discovered in 1937 by German scientist Prof. Dr. Otto Bayer (1902–1982).

Rigid (hard) polyurethane foams, which we use today, began to be produced in the 1950s. With developments in the following years, polyurethane has become an indispensable raw material for many products used in daily life.

CHEMICAL CONTENT AND AREAS OF USE OF POLYURETHANE

Polyurethanes are two products derived largely from petroleum; They are polymers formed as a result of the reaction of polyol and diisocyanate. Depending on the area of ​​use, various additives such as catalysts, surface regulators, defoamers, blowing agents and flame retardants are added to these chemical products.

In Europe, harmful gases such as CFCs have been removed from polyurethane raw materials since 1995 and HCFCs since 2003.

With polyurethane; Many products such as hard and flexible foams, leathers, elastomers, adhesives, coatings and filling materials are produced.

Although many people do not know what polyurethane is; As a building insulation and decoration product, it has a wide range of uses in construction, furniture, automobiles, airplanes, refrigerators, shoes, sports equipment, textiles and many other sectors.

According to Credence Research's report, the global polyurethane foam market reached a value of 58.85 billion USD in 2017 and the market is expected to grow by 5.2% between 2018 and 2026.

It is estimated that polyurethane use worldwide will increase to 22 million tons annually by 2020.