Urethanes
We have been active in urethane technologies since the early 1960’s and were one of the first companies that made the transition from solvent based to waterborne technology.
The demand for sustainable urethane solutions is growing especially in consumer markets, slowly followed by industrial sectors. NeoRezTM waterborne urethane resins are attractive to manufacturers because of their strength in combination with their flexibility, providing a tough finish for products such as wooden floors. The versatile technology toolbox of DSM also enables our scientists to create hybrid systems, like NeoPacTM alkyd and acrylic modified urethane systems, leveraging the best of both worlds to deliver solutions for ultimate performance challenges. So a home owner can bring the natural beauty of wood into a room that resists everyday knocks and scrapes. Although urethane technology is a niche and specialty technology, its applications are diverse: it is also used in medical devices and implants, mattresses and on the soles of sport shoes.
The transition from solvent based urethane to waterborne technology still remains a challenge, especially in the two component field. But together we are driving towards renewable and sustainable urethanes. In the future, the continuous improvement of our products will lead to new outlets like DSM soft feel urethane coatings that are applied to perfume bottles, pencils, dashboards of cars, smart phones and credit cards.
In collaboration we also enable food manufacturers to achieve competitive differentiation in-store through UradurTM urethane solvent based inks applied to flexible packaging. Urethane inks, used on salad bags and premium-priced soup in pouches, remain intact from factory to supermarket and provide a unique decorative finish with self-appeal. For the supermarket shopper, flexible packaging such as the modern soup pouch adds to the perception of luxury.
