Polyurethanes, polyureas, and blends thereof (all referred to as PUs) have become prolific in the coatings industry and are being promoted by many companies. It is important for those who specify and use these coatings to understand their background and the subtle technological differences between the products promoted by various manufacturers. Understanding these differences can be difficult. Hundreds of PUs have already been developed and utilized in many diverse applications, and many other compounds may be developed in the future.
The purpose of this state-of-the-art technical committee report is to provide a basic introduction to thick-film PU coatings technology for the engineer, owner, contractor, or end user. Information about the components of thick-film PUs, how they are classified, and their general performance characteristics is provided.
