Why use polyurethane tires(PU). (1)

One of the most successful applications for polyurethane elastomer is that of tires for industrial truck. A list of the important advantages that the use of polyurethane tires can offer over rubber tires or steel tires is given below.

1. Polyurethane tires have higher load bearing capacities than similar size rubber tires. In all these case quoted from a 6 inch to a 22 inch diameter tires, the polyurethanes are rate approximately 600% higher than the corresponding natural rubber. When truck are designed specifically for polyurethane tires it is more customary to reduce both the width of the tread and also the overall diameter. Example it will be seen that a 10 x 3 x 6 1/4 (10 inch OD , 3 inch width , 6 1/4 inch metal OD) polyurethane tires has a higher load-bearing capacity than a 22 x 8 x 16 natural rubber tyre. The reduce in overall diameter of the tire can prove very advantageous in warehouse and factories where the floor space is at a premium . In general where the full advantage can be taken of the higher load-bearing capacity of polyurethane, its use can result in considerable cost savings.
2. The general life of a polyurethane truck tires even at higher load is noticeably longer than that of a natural rubber tires due to the substantial improvement in resistance to cutting and abrasion.
3. Industial truck tires have to operate over widely different terrain including rough factory yard , smooth warehouse pass-ages and oil-soaked machine shop. The good oil resistance of polyurethane can be a contributory factor in giving longer life when compare with rubber tires. Compare with steel tires the use of polyurethane tires can give improved traction and does much to eliminate damage to concrete and vinyl floor. Although rubber tires cannot break up the floor surface as can steel, the carbon black filler present can mark the floor surface.
4. Polyurethane tires have considerably lower rolling resistance than rubber tires, mainly as a consequence of the different hardness of two materials employed. In electrically propelled truck this result in a reduction in frequency of battery recharging with a resultant improvment in truck utilization.
5. Many industial trucks are used at sub-zero temperatures in cold storage rooms. The hard polyurethane tires are capable of cutting through the ice formed at these temperature and thus improving the traction. Furthermore the resilience-temperature characteristic are such that polyurethane tires have lower power consumption than rubber tires at these temperature, an important consideration in cold storage rooms.

Figure 1 Polyurethane Tires