Polyurethane (PU)

The chameleon polymer: mattress foam, insulation, skateboard wheels, and stretch fibers from one chemistry.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Otto Bayer’s team invented the isocyanate-polyol reaction in 1937.
• Blown into foam it insulates refrigerators; cast solid it outwears steel skateboard wheels.
• Spandex — elastane — is a segmented polyurethane that snaps back after 500% stretch.

Specifications & Metrics

• MONOMER: Diisocyanate + polyol