CASE STUDY

Polycarbonate diols for high-performing

and durable elastomers in mining
applications

Summary
Product: UBE ETERNACOLL® polycarbonate diols
Application: Polyurethane elastomers
Key benefits: Abrasion resistance | Hydrolytic and chemical stability | High thermal and oxidation
resistance | Excellent mechanical properties

The Challenge
To maximize the performance and the retention of original properties over time, polycarbonate diols
are used to design long-lasting polyurethane elastomers. This is especially necessary for applications
where polyurethanes need to be high performing and extremely durable to avoid downtime and
increase productivity, such as in the oil and mining industry for applications requesting durability to
harsh working conditions.

Polyurethanes designed with polycarbonate diols show maximized hydrolytic, solvents and chemical
resistance, thermal and oxidation stability, optical properties retention, as well as abrasion and scratch
resistance. All these properties are essential for final polyurethane elastomers in high demanding
applications.

The Solution
As a solution to some of today’s complex manufacturing challenges, formulators can now produce
their polyurethane elastomers using UBE’s ETERNACOLL® polycarbonate diols, even for those
processes and applications demanding low fluidity, maximizing their performance and durability over
time.

Among the many advantages of using polycarbonate diols to design high performing and extremely
durable polyurethanes, we can show down key benefits which are answering the challenges faced by
engineers to design elastomers for mining applications.

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UBE’s ETERNACOLL® polycarbonate diols allow producing polyurethanes that meet the current
specifications demanded by formulators of elastomers for mining applications, at is shown in the
following chart (Table 1):

Polyester-based Polycarbonate-based
polyurethane polyurethane
Density (g/cm3) 1.18 1.17
Hardness (Shore A/D) 90/40 91/34
Tensile strength (MPa) 54 44
100% Modulus (MPa) 9 9
Elongation at break (%) 451 419
Tear strength (N/mm) - 66
Abrasion resistance 10N (mm3) 46 43
Compression set, 22h at 70 °C (%) 22 24
Compression set, 72h at 70 °C (%) 85 88
Tg (°C) -41 -43
Tm (°C) 169 166
Storage modulus 25 °C (MPa) 38 53
Storage modulus 50 °C (MPa) 31 45
Storage modulus 75 °C (MPa) 27 40
Tan Delta 25 °C 0.06 0.06
Tan Delta 50 °C 0.04 0.03
Tan Delta 75 °C 0.03 0.03
Tan Delta max. temp. (°C) -30 -35
Tan Delta max. value 0.5 0.4
Rebound at 25/50/75 °C (%) 54/66/70 55/64/71

Table 1: Comparative chart of the dinamomechanical properties of polyurethane elastomers out from polyester
diols and polycarbonate diols, having prepared urethane prepolymers with a free NCO of 7 % and cured with
1,4-butaned diol

Polyurethanes made from ETERNACOLL® polycarbonate diols show increased resistance under harsh
working conditions for mining elastomers, showing an outstanding hydrolysis and chemicals, as well
as thermal & oxidation stability. Thus, polyurethanes based on polycarbonate-based urethane
prepolymers can withstand extreme conditions and remain intact after long-term exposure to water,
humidity, solvents and chemicals, with an excellent performance of original properties retention very
close to same polyurethanes based on benchmark polyols (Figures 2 and 3):

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 Figure 2: Retention of the original tensile strength (ISO 527) after a hydrolytic stability tests of
polyurethanes out from polycarbonate diols and polyester diols (immersion in a water bath at
80 oC for 60 days)

Figure 3: Retention of the original tensile strength (ISO 527) after a thermal stability tests of
polyurethanes out from polycarbonate diols and polyester diols (exposure at 120 oC for 50 days)

Conclusion
UBE’s ETERNACOLL® polycarbonate diols allow manufacturers to produce high-performing and
extremely durable urethane elastomers for mining applications, showing maximized hydrolytic,

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 solvents & chemical resistance, and thermal & oxidation stability, which helps to avoid downtime and
increase productivity.

Learn more about UBE ETERNACOLL® polycarbonate diols