Isocyanates

• Terathane® used as soft segment with

diisocyanates
• Most commonly used diisocyanates
o methylene-bis-p-phenylisoyanate (MDI)
o toluene diisocyanate (TDI)

• Used to improve properties

o Abrasion resistance
o Temperature resistance
o Flex fatigue

Curatives/Chain Extenders
• Two hydrogen donors used
o Amines
o Alcohols

• Usually diamines and glycols when the end product

is to be elastomer
• Relative reaction rates can be altered by the use of
selected catalysts

Properties of Finished Polyurethanes

1. Water Resistance

2. Resilience
3. Hysteresis
4. Resistance to High Temperatures
 5. Microbe Resistance
6. Resistance to Ultraviolet Light
7. Interaction of Properties
8. Ether vs. Ester

Water Resistance
• Principal advantage of Terathane® polyether
glycol is the hydrolysis resistance due to the ether
backbone
• Terathane® has a 10% decrease in retention of
tensile strength after immersion in hot water
o Caused by plasticizing effect of water
o Original tensile strength regained after drying
o Losses incurred by the polyesters are due to hydrolysis and are not
regained
o Polyesters improved temporarily by adding polycarbodiimide

Resilience
• Terathane® polyether excellent resilience in
polyurethanes
• Ideal soft segment for uses involving rolling friction
o Casters, lift truck tires, skate wheels (roller blade wheels)

Microbe Resistance
• Failure of polyester urethane by hydrolysis is
common in humid, tropical areas
 • A strong contributing factor is biochemical
breakdown, caused by microorganisms
• Exposure to high humidity or contact with soil
causes:
o Severe straining
o Rapid loss of properties

• Substituting Terathane® for the polyester glycol

will eliminate problems

Resistance to Ultraviolet Light

• Polyethers and polyesters are susceptible to
degradation by ultraviolet light
o Done by process that attacks the a-hydrogen

• Polyesters more resistant

o Used in polyurethane coatings for short-term outdoor use

• Polyesters are insufficiently resistant to moisture

• Terathane® can become resistant to ultraviolet
light by adding ultraviolet stabilizers
o Mainly “Tinuven” (Ciba-Geigy)

Resistance to High Temperature

• Melting of the hard segment will cause failure in
the elastomer
• Urea hard segments typically melt 50oC (90oF)
higher than urethanes formed by diol cures
 • Isocyanate PPDI (DuPont) enhances resistance to
high temperature
• At temperatures lower than the melting point, the
soft segment has more effect on the properties
• Polyester soft segments permit better retention of
physical properties and are resistant to oxidation

Interaction of Properties
• Design polyurethane with optimal properties for
your company’s needs
• In engineering design, no single property
dominates
• Consideration must be given to final properties and
processing characteristics
o Pot life, viscosity, mold time, ratio control, process temperatures, etc.

• Is the chemistry right? Ether vs. Ester

Ether vs. Ester

Ether

1. Rebound
2. Low Temperature Properties
3. Impingement abrasion
 4. Heat buildup
5. Hydrolysis resistance
6. Microbe resistance

Ester

1. Tensile strength
2. Tear strength
3. Sliding abrasion
4. Oil resistance
5. Heat aging
Hardness can be obtained with both ester and ether
systems and should NOT be used as a basis of
choice

Engineering Advantages of Polyurethanes

• Wide hardness range (Shore A 15 to Shore D 90)
• Abrasion-resistant
• More load-bearing capacity at a given hardness
• Highly resistant to impact
 • Wide resilience range
• Flexible at low temperatures
• Stable up to 140oC with special formulations
• Won’t support mold, mildew, or fungus
• Can be machined on standard equipment
• Bonds to wood, metals, and most plastics
• Low mold and tooling costs
• Wide range of resistance to oil, grease, and
chemicals

Polyurethane vs. Metal

• Lighter weight
• Less noise
• Better wear
• Cheaper frabrication
• Corrosion resistance

Polyurethane vs Rubber
• Abrasion resistance
• Cut and tear resistance
• Higher load bearing
• Clarity, translucence
• Ozone resistance
• Pourable, castable
• Harder durometer range