Cast polyurethane elastomers (CPU) are suitable for the production of medium- and large-sized products and have a wide range of applications.
Cast polyurethane elastomers exhibit excellent mechanical, physical, and chemical properties, making them particularly well-suited for the production of medium- and large-sized products. They are widely used in fields such as aerospace, medical care, construction, national defense, chemical industry, electronics, and automotive industries.
Cast polyurethane elastomers exhibit excellent mechanical, physical, and chemical properties, making them particularly well-suited for the production of medium- and large-sized products. They find extensive applications in fields such as aerospace, medical care, construction, national defense, chemical industry, electronics, and automotive industries.
Depending on the processing method, polyurethane elastomers can be classified into cast polyurethane elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers, and compounded polyurethane elastomers. Cast polyurethane elastomers (CPU), also known as cast polyurethanes or polyurethane casting compounds, are a type of polyurethane elastomer produced via a casting process, in which stepwise materials are poured and then cured through chain extension and cross-linking reactions.
In 2022, China's polyurethane elastomer production capacity reached approximately 1.3 million tons, with an average annual compound growth rate of nearly 13.0% from 2018 to 2022. Cast polyurethane elastomers represent a major segment of the polyurethane elastomer market in terms of both output and application scope, and their production scale is also on the rise. Cast polyurethane elastomers exhibit excellent mechanical, physical, and chemical properties, making them particularly well-suited for the manufacture of medium- and large-sized products. They find extensive applications in fields such as aerospace, medical devices, construction, national defense, chemical industry, electronics, and automotive industries.
According to the "2024-2029 China Cast Polyurethane Elastomer (CPU) Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospect Forecast Report" released by the New Think Industry Research Center, cast polyurethane elastomers can be categorized into two major types based on product form: CPU prepolymers and CPU finished products. China has a large number of CPU prepolymer manufacturers, among which Yinaowei and Zibo Huatian stand out with relatively high production volumes, collectively accounting for approximately 50% of the total output. CPU prepolymers are primarily used in the manufacture of screen meshes, screening plates, rollers, rubber rollers, and seals.
Cast polyurethane elastomers are primarily composed of low-molecular-weight polyols, isocyanates, chain-extending and cross-linking agents, and a small amount of functional additives. The polyols serve as the soft segments in cast polyurethane elastomers and are broadly categorized into two major types: polyether polyols (such as polytetramethylene glycol PTMG) and polyester polyols (such as polycaprolactone polyol PCL). The isocyanates constitute the hard segments of cast polyurethane elastomers; common examples include 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), 1,5-naphthalene diisocyanate (NDI), and toluene diisocyanate (TDI). Chain-extending and cross-linking agents include diethyl toluenediamine (DETDA) and 4,4'-diamino-3,3'-dichlorodiphenylmethane (MOCA).
The preparation methods for cast polyurethane elastomers can be categorized into the one-step method and the prepolymer method (two-step method). Among these, the prepolymer method stands out for its easy process control, low exotherm, and excellent product performance, making it the mainstream preparation technique today. In the prepolymer method, an excess of diisocyanate is first reacted with a low-molecular-weight polyol to produce a polyurethane prepolymer terminated with NCO groups. This prepolymer is then further reacted with chain-extending and crosslinking agents as well as functional additives to synthesize the final polyurethane elastomer.
Industry analysts at New Think Tank indicate that cast polyurethane elastomers represent a major subcategory of polyurethane elastomers, particularly well-suited for the production of medium- and large-sized products. They find wide application in fields such as aerospace, construction, national defense, electronics, and automotive industries. Cast polyurethane elastomers boast excellent mechanical, physical, and chemical properties; however, they also have certain limitations, including poor resistance to strong acids and bases and moderate high-temperature resistance. Therefore, their performance still requires further optimization in the future.
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