Chiorino UK's Coated Fabrics Division supplies an extensive range of technical flexible materials to numerous and varied markets. These materials are carefully designed to provide specific characteristics, and can be divided into two main categories:
Most of these products are available from stock and small order quantities can be supplied.
Polyurethane Films
Weldable polyurethanes combine many of the benefits of high performance rubber with the major advantage of weldability – by high frequency, hot-air, hot wedge or impulse techniques.
The bond produced by welding is extremely strong and durable, and can withstand stress / relaxation cycling for several years.
This inherent reliability makes weldable polyurethane coated fabric or film the material of choice where reliability can literally make the difference between life or death, for example life jackets, life rafts and medical inflatables.
Many companies have switched to welding to eliminate emission of solvents into the atmosphere, which is becoming increasingly problematic due to strict environmental protection legislation.
Polyurethane is inherently flexible and contains none of the plasticizers used in PVC to promote flexibility, and is therefore not affected by problems associated with plasticizer migration/abstraction.
Neither do our polyurethane films contain any chlorine, which can lead to the formation of HCI and dioxins during incineration. And in addition our polyurethane can outlast PVC by several product lifetimes.
For these and other reasons polyurethane is frequently seen as a 'greener' alternative to PVC.
Other advantages over PVC include:-
- More resistant to petrochemicals
- Much better recovery after elongation
- Excellent flexibility at very low temperature
- High weld strength, particularly 'in peel'
- Higher tensile strength
- Much better abrasion resistance
This combination of advantages can result in dramatic improvements to product life and can more than compensate for higher material cost.
Types of Polyurethane Film
Polyether Polyurethane
- Can be used where there is prolonged contact with water
- Has National Water Council approval for contact with drinking water
- FDA approved for food contact
- Complies with European Food Directives
Polyester Polyurethane
- Has better resistance to hydrocarbons than polyether polyurethane
- Is stronger than polyether polyurethane
- FDA approved for food contact
- Complies with European Food Directives
- Is not suitable for applications involving long-term exposure to water
Pigmentation is strongly recommended for any application with long-term exposure to UV for both polyester and polyether polyurethanes.
Polyurethane films from Chiorino are produced by calendering rather than by 'blowing'.
This results in a number of major advantages.
- Embossed surfaces possible on one or both surfaces
- gives lower drag, facilitating processing
- more receptive to adhesive
- prevents self-blocking - Wide range of colours possible with reasonable minimum orders
- Wide range of thickness available, from 60 microns to 4,000 microns
- No 'blowing aids' used
- Drinking-water contact approved and anti-static grades available
- Excellent lay flat properties
- Superb welding properties, including lower power settings
- Possibility of tear sealing
- Biocompatible to USP class VI
- High-clarity grades available
- provides better grip
Typical Applications
- Inflatable medical devices, especially alternating pressure air mattresses
- Skin-contact applications
- Inflatable Seating
- Inflatable Pipe-stoppers
- Flexible Connectors
- Protective clothing for the nuclear industry
- Disposable seals for vacuum presses
Weldable Polyurethane Coated Fabrics
The inclusion of a textile support provides a route for designing-in a number of potentially useful properties :
- Dimensional stability under load
- Improved tensile strength
- Improved resistance to permeation by hydrocarbons
- Improved puncture resistance
Chiorino have access to an incredibly wide selection of textile substrates to provide customers with the optimum design choice.
Typical Applications
- Inflatable medical products
- Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs)
- Inflatable lifting systems
- Flexible fuel and drinking-water tanks
- Inflatable structures
- Chutes
- Inflatable pipe stoppers
- Oil Boom
- Petroleum storage
- Anti-slip soles
- Wave energy converters
How to apply adhesive to Chiorino PU
- Thoroughly abrade the pu surface
- Wipe over with acetone, using hard pressure
- Apply the first coat of adhesive before the acetone has fully evaporated
- Continue as per the instructions from the adhesive manufacturer
Please note that using another solvent, eg toluene, in substitution for acetone, is likely to result in a lower bond strength.
Appropriate health and safety measures should obviously be taken.
Suitable Adhesives
We generally recommend the use of a two-component, neoprene-based adhesive, such as the types widely used in the fabrication of RIB tubes.
We do not recommend the use of polyurethane-based adhesives for applications involving long-term contact with water. These adhesives are normally based on polyester polyurethane, which can degrade when in long-term contact with water.
Customers should satisfy themselves that they can obtain a satisfactory result, however Chiorino UK would be happy to assist with detailed advice should this be required.
Chiorino UK gratefully acknowledge the permission of the following companies to illustrate products manufactured from our materials:
- Flexible Tanks :
Hovercraft Consultants Ltd, www.duratank.com
JW Automarine, www.jwautomarine.co.uk - Inflatable Decontamination Showers :
Professional Protection Systems, www.ppsgb.com - Lifting Bags :
Lindhurst Engineering Ltd, www.lindhurst.co.uk - Medical Inflatables :
RF Works Ltd, www.rfworks.co.uk - Rigid Inflatable Boats :
Tornado Boats Ltd, www.tornadoribs.com
Vanguard Marine Ltd, www.vanguardmarine.com
XS RIBs, www.ribs.co.uk
Chiorino UK is part of the world-wide family of Chiorino companies, www.chiorino.com.
We also produce high-performance belting materials for a huge range of applications.