Polyurethane (PUR and PU) is a polymer which is composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links.Polyurethane polymers are commonly formed by reacting a di- or polyisocyanate with a polyol.Both the isocyanates and polyol contain on average two or more functional groups per molecule.These are generally thermosetting polymers that do not melt when heated,but thermoplastic polyurethanes are also available.
The use of isocyanates to synthesize polyurethanes are minimizing,because the isocyanates raise severe toxicity issues.Non-isocyanate based polyurethanes (NIPUs) have recently been developed as a new class of polyurethane polymers for health and environmental concerns.