Classification of PU products

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Polyurethane products mainly include the following types: foam plastics, elastomers, fiber plastics, fibers, leather shoe resins, coatings, adhesives, and sealants, among which foam plastics account for the largest proportion. Polyurethane foam plastics are divided into two types: rigid foam and soft foam. They possess excellent elasticity, elongation, compressive strength, and flexibility, as well as good chemical stability. In addition, polyurethane foam plastics also possess excellent processability, adhesiveness, thermal insulation properties, and other advantages, making them high-performance cushioning materials. The production of polyurethane materials is widespread throughout North America. It is reported that the overall annual growth rate of the North American polyurethane foam market is expected to be around 6%. It is estimated that by 2020, the areas of growth would be primarily in the markets for the use of spray-applied polyurethane foam in residential and industrial applications, as well as in other such applications. Furthermore, polyurethanes will also be used in the medical industry to provide timely and effective treatment for wounds. Polyurethane elastomers possess soft and hard chain segments in their structure; by designing the molecular chains, it is possible to endow these materials with excellent properties such as high strength, good toughness, wear resistance, and oil resistance. Known as \"wear-resistant rubber\", polyurethanes combine the high elasticity of rubber with the rigidity of plastics. Over the past year, due to the sharp drop in crude oil prices and the backdrop of a global economic downturn, the growth rate of China’s polyurethane elastomer market has been slower compared to previous years. An imbalanced supply and demand situation has led to persistently low prices for polyurethane elastomers. However, this phenomenon occurs only in traditional polyurethane products. The market prospects for elastomer products with a high level of technological content and innovation, such as nano-polyurethane elastomer materials, are quite promising. Polyurethane elastomers are materials with high cohesive energy and excellent wear resistance; compared to natural rubber, their wear resistance can be increased by 2 to 10 times. At the same time, it possesses high mechanical strength and tear strength. Coupled with its excellent shock-absorbing properties, this gives it the ability to overcome harder materials through flexibility. Although it does not have the high hardness of steel or certain plastics, it performs admirably in applications that require wear resistance, outperforming steel in such cases. For example, when sandpaper is used to rub polyurethane rubber and other materials, its wear rate is 6 to 7 times that of iron; however, in wet friction scenarios involving liquids such as water or oil, the wear resistance of polyurethane rubber is significantly better than that of other materials. In 2015, the overall price of spandex in the market continued to decline, with the prices of spandex fibers of all types reaching their lowest levels ever, even setting new historical lows. By the end of 2015, the mainstream price of 40D spandex had dropped to around 36,000 yuan per ton, representing a decrease of 25.47% compared to the beginning of the year, thus reaching a new historical low for that period. Looking at both the upstream and downstream aspects of the industrial chain, the current situation faced by polyurethane fiber plastics is due to the ongoing economic downturn; in the downstream manufacturing sector, demand is weak, leading to an oversupply and severe inventory buildup ； On the other hand, it is also due to a sharp drop in raw material prices. The continuous decline in spandex prices has led to a drop in industry profits. The continuous release of new intelligent production capacity has led to an oversupply, further severely impacting the spandex market. Coupled with the financial strain in the industries that utilize spandex, as well as the vicious cycle within the supply chain, China’s imports of spandex dropped sharply from January to November 2015. The imbalance between supply and demand has become a major factor contributing to the decline in spandex prices.