The difference and characteristics of polyether polyols and polyester polyols-2
Characteristic
Characteristics of polyether polyols
Good flexibility and elasticity: The presence of ether bonds makes polyurethane materials made of polyether polyols have good flexibility and elasticity, excellent resilience, and can be restored to their original state within a large deformation range.Therefore, polyether polyurethane is commonly used in the preparation of elastomers, soft foams and other products, such as mattresses, sofa cushions, etc.
Excellent hydrolysis resistance: Polyether polyols are relatively stable to water and are not easy to hydrolyze in humid environments. Therefore, polyether polyurethane products can still maintain good performance in humid environments and have a long service life.This makes it widely used in construction, automotive interiors and other fields.
Lower glass transition temperature (Tg): Polyurethane materials made of polyether polyols have a lower glass transition temperature and good low temperature performance. They can still maintain good flexibility and elasticity in low temperature environments, and are not easy to become brittle.
Poor heat resistance and wear resistance: Compared with polyester polyols, polyether polyurethane has poor heat resistance, tends to soften at high temperatures, and its mechanical properties decrease.At the same time, its wear resistance is relatively weak, and it is not suitable for long-term use in environments with high friction.
Characteristics of polyester polyols
Higher strength and hardness: The presence of ester groups gives polyurethane materials made of polyester polyols higher strength and hardness, and their tensile strength, tear strength and other mechanical properties are better than polyether polyurethane.Therefore, polyester polyurethane is commonly used in the preparation of hard foams, coatings, adhesives and other products, such as automobile bumpers, floor coatings, etc.
Good heat resistance and wear resistance: Polyurethane materials made of polyester polyols have good heat resistance and can still maintain good mechanical properties at higher temperatures.At the same time, its wear resistance is better than that of polyether polyurethane, and it can be used for a long time in environments with high friction.
Poor hydrolysis resistance: The ester group is easy to hydrolyze with water, which leads to the rapid performance degradation of polyurethane materials made of polyester polyols in humid environments and relatively short service life.However, its hydrolysis resistance can be improved to a certain extent by adding anti-hydrolysis agents and other means.
Higher cost: Due to the high production cost of polyester polyols, the price of polyurethane products made of them is relatively high, which limits their large-scale application in some cost-sensitive fields.