What is Millathane Millable Urethane?

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What is MILLABLE POLYURETHANE?

Many people new to the rubber industry ask the question "what is millable urethane"? Millable polyurethane rubbers (sometimes known as millable gums) are solid polymers that can be processed on standard rubber processing equipment such as internal mixers (Banbury® mixers) and rubber mills. Millable urethane rubbers are used in many demanding applications, especially those that require excellent mechanical strength, oil resistance, ozone resistance and abrasion resistance.

Millathane® millable polyurethane rubber is useful to rubber molders or fabricators who wish to make abrasion resistance parts without employing techniques or equipment required for cast or thermoplastic polyurethanes. Applications for millable polyurethane include rollers, belts, bumpers, seals, gaskets, o-rings for many business machines. There are many automotive, aerospace and industrial applications utilizing the properties of Millathane millable polyurethane rubber.

Millable polyurethane rubbers are made from both polyesters and polyether polyols. Diisocyanates like MDI, TDI, H12MDI and others are used, along with many different chain extenders. Millable gums are, in general, are under-indexed urethanes. What this means is that there is a stoichiometric deficiency of isocyanates groups compared to hydroxyl groups in the overall reaction (NCO:OH ratio is less than 1.0). Being under index necessitates the need for vulcanization by peroxide or sulfur cure systems.

In order to useful, millable polyurethane rubbers must be vulcanized. Like other synthetic rubbers, cure sites must be present to radically cure with peroxide or sulfur. Cure sites can be accomplished by the use of MDI as the isocyanate or by introducing carbon-carbon double bonds in the chain extender. Thus vulcanization can be accomplished with heat and pressure utilizing sulfur or peroxide cure systems.

TSE produces nine grades of Millathane millable urethane, in both polyester and polyether grades. Polyether grades have better water and hydrolysis resistance than polyester grades, while polyester grades have better heat, oil and compression set resistance than polyether grades.

Polyether grades	Typical applications
Millathane E34	Rubber covered rollers for paper and printing industries
Millathane E40	Military and aerospace parts requiring the optimum in low temperature properties
Millathane CM	Military and aerospace parts requiring excellent strength and abrasion and low temperature resistance
Millathane 26	Rollers, belting and molded parts; compliant with FDA regulation 21CFR 177.2600
Millathane 97	Transparent millable urethane used in shoe soles and brightly colored parts
Polyester grades	Typical applications
Millathane 5004	Suction cups, diaphragms, rollers
Millathane 76	O-rings, gaskets, suction cups, vibration isolators, wheels
Millathane HT	Belts, rollers, gaskets
Millathane 66	Seals, gaskets, belts, rollers

Compounds of Millathane millable urethanes can have hardnesses from approximately 25 to 99 Shore A (60 Shore D), tensile strengths over 5000 psi (35 MPa) and DIN abrasion values as low as 30-40 mmł loss.

Contact us for further information or compound formulation recommendations.

Millathane® Customer Service
Nina Manee at (800) 237-7634 x1348 or (727) 573-7676 x1348

Millathane® Technical Service:
Tom Jablonowski at (800) 237-7634 x1238 or (727) 573-7676 x1238

Banbury® is a registered trademark of Farrel Corporation.

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*Millathane 5004 and Millathane CM were formerly known as Vibrathane 5004 and Adiprene CM. Adiprene® and Vibrathane® are registered trademarks of Chemtura Corp.

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