ABSTRACT
The origin of polyurethane dates back to the beginning of World War II, when it was first developed as a replacement for rubber. Professor Dr. Otto Bayer and his co-workers at IG Farben in Leverkusen, Germany, first made polyurethanes in 1937. Polyurethane can be prepared to show a wide range of properties, from those of flexible elastomers to those rigid crosslinked polymers, which can be used to fit in different applications. Polyurethane packaging foam can provide more cost-effective, form-fitting cushioning that uniquely and securely protects items that need to stay safely in place during transit. Polyurethanes are frequently used in the electrical and electronics industries to encapsulate, seal, and insulate fragile, pressure-sensitive, microelectronic components, underwater cables, and printed circuit boards. The molecular weight of the oligomeric polyol used for polyurethane manufacture has a profound effect on the properties of the resulting polymer.
