Mechanical Frothing Process Develops New Applications for Polyurethanes

Abstract

Mechanical frothing of polyurethane involves beating an inert gas, e.g. air, into a mixture of polyols and isocyanates to produce a stable but still liquid froth with very fine cells which can be knife coated on a substrate at gauges from a few tenths of a millimetre to over 10 mm and is then cured by application of heat to produce a microcellular urethane elastomer.

This process and the resulting urethane foams find applications in the back coating of floor coverings, e.g. carpets, artificial grass, vinyl floorings, sports surfaces as well as for the production of shoe inner soles, tapes and gaskets where their properties compare favourably with those of the alternative backings of rubber or PVC foams used until now.