What is casting polyurethane elastomer?
Casting polyurethane elastomer, called liquid rubber, is a type of product produced by pouring a liquid reaction mixture into a mold cavity. It is the most widely used type of polyurethane elastomer and has the largest production volume.
Cast polyurethane elastomer is a type of polymer that possesses elastic characteristics similar to rubber.
It is formed by combining prepolymers with chain extenders, followed by curing to generate three-dimensional structures . Cast polyurethane elastomers are known for their load-bearing capacity, impact strength, abrasion resistance, resilience, and excellent resistance to oil and grease .
They are cost-effective and dependable elastomers that combine some of the performance advantages of high-tech plastics, metals, and ceramics along with the resiliency and flexibility of rubber . Cast polyurethane elastomers are used in a wide range of applications, including industrial and mechanical parts, mining, oil and gas, printing, material handling, concrete molds, architectural formliners, filtration units, and many more industries
What are the disadvantages of polyurethane elastomers?
The addition of calcium carbonate and silica to improve high temperature resistance is a shortcoming of polyurethane elastomer, but castable polyurethane elastomer is not perfect. Its key shortcomings are:
1). It has large internal heat and high temperature resistance. Generally, the normal operating temperature range is -40~120℃. If it needs to function for a long time under high-frequency oscillation conditions or high temperature conditions, corresponding modification measures must be taken in the product structure design or formula.
2) Not resistant to strong polar solvents and strong acid and alkali media. At corresponding temperatures, alcohols, acids, and ketones will cause the polyurethane elastomer to swell and degrade. Solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, dimethylformamide, and trichlorethylene Polyurethane elastomer will swell at room temperature.
3). Its waste recycling is an international problem and environmental pollution is also a big problem, because no country in the world can solve the problem of its waste disposal.
Polyurethane elastomer involves two basic concepts: elastomer and polyurethane elastomer.