PCO Urethane - Urethane 101

Abrasion - The process of wearing down or rubbing away by means of friction.
Additive - A product which does not effect the physical propeties, but is included to alter the final product such as UV Stabilizers or flame retardant.
Adhesion - The bonding of two material surfaces to one another, such as polyurethane to polyurethane, polyurethane to metal, polyurethane to rubber etc.
ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials.
Casting - To form (an object) by pouring uncured polyurethane in a fluid state into a mold and letting it harden.
Cure - The hardening of a part by a chemical reaction which completes the process of production.
Cure time - Time required, at a given temperature, to produce optimum physical properties in an elastomer.
Durometer - A device for measuring the hardness of materials
Durometer hardness - See Hardness Chart in Urethane 101.
Flame retardant – An additive which is combined to a polymer to reduce its tendency to burn.
Flash - Material protruding from the surface of a molded part, appearing at the mold parting lines or other point on a part.
Ground finish - Surface which is finished using a grinding wheel or other equipment.
Mold release – Agent applied to a mold surface to help the release of the molded part from the mold cavity.
Physical properties - A measure of mechanical characteristics of a material.
Shore hardness - The scale by which a polyurethane is measured for hardness, typically in the "Shore A" or “Shore D” scale. See Hardness Scale in Urethane 101.
Tensile strength The resistance of a material to a force tending to tear it apart, measured as the average maximum tension the material can withstand without tearing.
Thermoplastic – A plastic which is Capable of being repeatedly softened by heating and hardened by cooling.
Thermoset - A classification for materials such as polyurethane that become hardened or cured by the application of heat.
Tolerances - The permissible range of variation in a dimension of an object.