Polyurethane Footwear Chemical Resistance
Many employers have implemented policies requiring polyurethane footwear chemical resistance as an additional safety precaution. Polyurethane footwear chemical resistance shoes work well in workplace environments because they help reduce injuries related to slipping on wet surfaces.
There are many shoes on the market that help reduce slippage on wet surfaces, but these shoes really only offer protection on slick floors, or on floors that simply have a little water on them. They do not offer protection on floors that have chemicals on them, such as oil or wax.
Many people believe that polyurethane is a type of rubber, but this is not so. Polyurethane is actually a plastic. Polyurethane is in use all over the place. It can be soft, such as the foam used in the seat of your car, or it can be hard – such as the soles of shoes. The chemistry of polyurethane can be manipulated in an unlimited number of ways to produce various different strengths of various different products.
Polyurethane is made by reacting a polyol with a diisocyanate or polymeric isocyanate in the presence of suitable catalysts and additives. Most of us don’t understand that – we just understand that these are the types of shoes that our employers are requiring us to purchase for work. You would think with all of that chemical processing going on, that these types of shoes would be quite expensive, but they are surprisingly inexpensive!
In the process of shoe soling, polyurethane injection and casting are used. The purpose of the process is to ensure that the end result is a lightweight shoe, with designs and patterns that are pleasing to consumers. Shoes with polyurethane soles are used for fashion, sports, hiking, casual wear, and safety wear. So, if your employer requires you to purchase polyurethane footwear chemical resistance, don’t worry – the shoes will be affordable and easy to find – and they will make things safer for you in your work environment.
