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Applications of polyurethane elastomers

2015-11-24View Original

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Applications of polyurethane elastomers: 1. Applications in industries such as coal sorting, mining, and metallurgy. Polyurethane elastomers are the non-metallic materials that best meet the requirements of mining operations, and they can replace some metal materials. Polyurethane elastomeric products used in mines include screen plates, elastomeric linings, conveyor belts, etc. Polyurethane rubber sieve plates include tension-compression sieve plates, tension sieve plates, slotted sieve plates, and others. Polyurethane rubber screen plates possess excellent properties such as wear resistance, water resistance, oil resistance, vibration absorption and noise reduction, high strength, and strong adhesion to metal frames. They produce low levels of noise, have an effective self-cleaning effect, reduce the load on the screening machine, save energy consumption, extend the lifespan of the screening machine, and ensure high-quality screening. Many mining equipment such as shaking tables, flotation machines, special mineral processing machines, cascade separators, spiral chutes, crushers, magnetic separators, pipes, and elbows come into contact with materials like gravel, and therefore require wear-resistant linings ; For mining monorail cranes, polyurethane elastomers are the preferred materials for things such as steel-core polyurethane drive wheels, flame-retardant and antistatic polyurethane conveyor belts, TPU sheaths for equipment cables, dust seals, and shock-absorbing blocks. 2. Polyurethane adhesive rollers: Polyurethane adhesive rollers are a type of polyurethane rubber product with excellent properties; they are typically manufactured by using a casting process to coat a steel or iron roller with a layer of polyurethane elastomer. Classified by their purpose, they include: winnower rollers used in grain processing, extrusion rollers and pulping rollers in the paper industry; drawing rollers, drafting rollers, and slitting rollers in the textile industry; drive bearing rollers used in the wood, glass, and packaging industries; various rollers for printing and dyeing machinery; small rollers for various instruments; conveyor rollers for transportation systems; printing rollers; conveyor rollers for metal cold rolling; and rollers for coloring metal sheets. The rubber layer of these rollers can all be made from polyurethane elastomers. Most rubber rollers are manufactured using the casting process, typically by placing a steel core at the center of a cylindrical mold and then casting an elastomer to give it shape. Special rubber rollers can be produced using the centrifugal casting method or the rotational casting method. The rotational casting method does not require molds and utilizes an elastomer system that cures at room temperature, thereby reducing the total processing time. 3. Polyurethane rubber wheels and tires: Polyurethane elastomers possess high load-bearing capacity, are wear-resistant and oil-resistant, and bond firmly to metal frames; they can be used to manufacture rubber wheels that are widely used in various transmission mechanisms, such as ; Idler wheels and guide wheels for production line conveyors, pulleys for cable cars, and so on. In the sports and entertainment sector, high-quality roller skates, in-line skating wheels, and skateboard wheels are all made of polyurethane. Polyurethane rubber wheels also feature oil resistance, good toughness, and strong adhesion, and they prove to be highly effective in vehicles such as mining monorail cranes, rack rail cars, and cleaning vehicles. Polyurethane is also used in small drive wheels for electronic and precision instruments, as well as various swivel wheels. There are also micro-foamed tires, PU foam-filled tires, and so on. 4. Mechanical parts including various seals, shock absorbers, couplings, and vehicle anti-skid chains. 5. Shoe materials: Polyurethane elastomers possess excellent cushioning properties, are lightweight, wear-resistant, and non-slipful; they also have good processability. As such, they have become an important synthetic material used in the shoe industry for manufacturing sports shoes such as baseball shoes and golf shoes, as well as soccer shoes, including soles, heels, and toes. They are also used in ski boots, safety shoes, and casual shoes. Polyurethane materials used in shoe materials include cast porous elastomers and thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers, with porous elastomer soles being the most common. Polyurethane microporous elastomers are lightweight and highly wear-resistant, which has made them popular among shoe manufacturers. The product has a low density and is much lighter than traditional rubber soles and PVC shoe materials. In China, microporous polyurethane elastomers are mainly used in the soles and insoles of sports shoes, leather shoes, sandals, etc.; abroad, they are primarily used in the soles of special sports shoes that require durability and elasticity, with designs that can be varied. TPU shoe heels have high wear resistance. A thermally decomposable foaming agent can be added during injection molding to produce foamed TPU elastic shoe materials. 6. Mold linings and punching dies for forming sheet metal parts: When thin parts are punched using conventional steel dies, the fracture surfaces often have burrs. The stamping technology that uses polyurethane rubber instead of traditional steel dies represents a significant advancement in thin metal sheet stamping. It enables a substantial reduction in the die manufacturing time, extends the lifespan of the dies, and lowers the production costs of the formed parts. It also improves the surface quality and dimensional accuracy of these parts. This technology is particularly suitable for the trial production of small to medium batch sizes or single pieces, and it is especially appropriate for thin and complex stamped parts. On tile and ceramic production lines, using PU elastic lining molds can reduce production costs and improve production efficiency as well as the yield of finished products. Polyurethane can be used to manufacture concrete molds; urethane molds enable the replication of various patterns. It is also used to produce decorative blocks. In the stamping process for hardware, polyurethane elastomer rods, tubes, and sheets are used as cushioning elements in place of metal springs, offering high elasticity, flexibility, and resistance to shrinkage deformation, without causing damage to the molds. 7. Medical elastomers: In foreign countries, medical polyurethane elastomers are mainly thermoplastic polyurethanes; there are also small amounts of cast polyurethane elastomers and microporous elastomers. Due to its high strength, wear resistance, biocompatibility, and the absence of plasticizers and other inert small-molecule additives, polyurethane elastomers hold an important position among medical polymer materials. Medical polyurethane products include polyurethane gastroscope hoses, medical hoses, materials for artificial organs and diaphragms as well as capsules, polyurethane elastic bandages, tracheal cuffs, and so on. 8. Tubing: Utilizing the flexibility, high tensile strength, impact resistance, low-temperature and high-temperature tolerance, as well as high pressure resistance of polyurethane elastomers, various types of hoses and pipes can be manufactured, such as high-pressure hoses, medical catheters, oil pipes, compressed air delivery pipes, fuel delivery pipes, paint hoses, fire-fighting hoses, and pipes for transporting gaseous materials. Polyurethane pipes are mostly manufactured by extrusion of thermoplastic polyurethane. 9. Films, sheets, and laminates: Thermoplastic polyurethanes can be extruded, blown, calendered, or cast into films, and are used in a wide range of applications. For example, it can be used to create transparent sacs, soft shells for inflatable devices, and various medical supplies. TPU films and sheets can be combined with fabrics and plastics to form laminated products, which are used in applications such as airplane life jackets, life rafts and inflatable boats, airplane emergency slides, underwater breathing compensators, self-contained scuba diving vests, military inflatable self-inflating mattresses, and film foam laminates for sound insulation. Breathable TPU products are used to manufacture waterproof and breathable fabrics, such as raincoats, camping tent fabrics and backpacks, clean room workwear, skiing apparel, hiking gear, water sports clothing, adventure wear, down jackets, and military uniforms ; Aliphatic TPU products that are optically transparent and possess strong adhesive properties can be used as adhesives between polycarbonate and glass. Dielectric heat sealing can be employed to manufacture TPU laminates for safety glass, thereby simplifying the design of seamless waterproof systems for airbags or fluid-filled bags. 10. Polyurethane potting and repair materials: Polyurethane sealants are used in China for sealing integrated circuit boards such as those in washing machines, dishwashers, and programmable circuit boards; they are also used to seal electrical connectors and terminals, as well as to coat flexible waveguides and voltage and current transformers. These sealants provide waterproofing, shock resistance, and electrical insulation. Potting adhesives are typically made from polyether polyols, TDI or MDI, along with various additives; they are generally two-component and cure at room temperature. Two-component elastomeric polyurethane adhesives can be used as room-temperature curing repair materials for various applications. 11. Other application areas: Due to the diversity of polyurethane raw materials and formulations, as well as the outstanding wear resistance, high elasticity, and low-temperature tolerance of polyurethane elastomers, polyurethane products have a wide range of applications, and many new application areas are currently being developed. Apart from the aforementioned fields, many other areas also make use of polyurethane elastomer products. For example: seal rings for piston and piston rod sealing, shaft seal rings, dust seals ; Various synchronous toothed belts and similar products in the field of mechanical transmission ; Prefabricated colored polyurethane elastomer profiles for flooring ; Polyurethane skins for bowling and golf, etc.

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