04 · Markets
Consumer Goods and Appliances
43 applications
Primary applications
Refrigerators and freezers (appliances)
Rigid PU foam in refrigerators and freezers is produced by injection between the internal plastic liner (HIPS or ABS) an…
PUR system with cyclopentanePUR system with HFOHigh-performance PUR systems with specific polyolRead briefResidential mattresses
Polyurethane foam mattresses are the largest single-volume segment of the global PU industry. A typical mattress is comp…
Conventional flexible foamHR (High Resilience) foamViscoelastic foam (memory foam)Read briefResidential upholstery (sofas, armchairs)
Residential upholstery — sofas, armchairs, dining chairs, headboards, poufs — uses flexible PU foam as both structural a…
Conventional flexible foamHR foamLow-density molded foamRead briefPillows and technical cushions
Pillows and technical cushions represent a specific segment within bedding and decoration products, with accelerated gro…
Viscoelastic foam (memory foam)HR molded foamConventional foamRead briefSecondary white goods appliances
Beyond refrigerators covered in Level A (Application 05), the complete white goods line uses PU in multiple applications…
Rigid PU foam for thermal and acoustic insulationFlexible foam for vibration dampingPU elastomers for seals and feetRead briefAir conditioning units
Air conditioning equipment (residential splits, central ducted, commercial VRF, industrial chillers) uses PU in multiple…
Rigid PU foam for thermal insulationElastomeric PU foam for pipe insulationFlexible foam for dampingRead briefOffice chairs
Ergonomic office chairs are a relevant market for high-quality molded foams — users spend 6-10 daily hours sitting, maki…
Molded HR foamViscoelastic foam for seats and backrestsIntegral skin foam for armrestsRead briefToys and childcare products
Children's toys and childcare products (car seats, baby carriers, feeding chairs, activity mats, cribs, playpens, crib p…
Colored integral skin PU foamFlexible foam with toy-safety certificationSoft-touch TPURead briefSports protective equipment
Protective sports equipment — helmets (cycling, motorcycle, skate, ski), protection vests (motocross, downhill, combat s…
Memory foam PU for impact absorptionHybrid EVA-PU foamTPU for shells and rigid protectionsRead briefHeadphones and headsets
Headphones (over-ear headphones, earbuds, professional headsets) use PU in multiple components that directly impact user…
Memory foam for earcupsHigh-quality flexible foam for earpadsTPU for cables and structural componentsRead briefSoft-grip kitchen utensils
Modern kitchen utensils with ergonomic handles (chef knives, spatulas, spoons, ladles, mashers, openers, kitchen scissor…
TPU over-moldingSoft-touch PU coatingIntegral skin PU in small partsRead briefDishwashers
Modern dishwashers use PU foam for acoustic insulation (reduction of 40-45 dB in operation, a differentiator in resident…
Rigid PU foam for acoustic insulationRead briefWater fountains and purifiers
Water fountains and residential/commercial purifiers use PU in internal food-grade coatings, seals between filters and v…
Food-grade PU coating + sealsRead briefRemote controls and peripherals
Remote controls for TVs, air conditioning, gaming controllers and electronic peripherals receive TPU soft-touch in grip…
TPU soft-touch over-moldingRead briefFitness equipment
Treadmills, stationary bikes, weightlifting equipment and home gym equipment use PU foams in belt damping, soft-touch gr…
PU foam + soft-touch TPURead briefVacuum cleaners and domestic cleaning equipment
Vacuum cleaners use specific reticulated PU foams in dust filters, flexible hoses in TPU, ergonomic handle grips and HEP…
Reticulated PU filtration foam + TPU componentsRead brief
See also
Applications where this market appears as secondary.
- Packaging Materials
Custom-cut protective packaging
Custom-cut protective packaging consists of flexible PU foam pieces cut accordin…
Conventional flexible foam at customized densitySemi-flexible foamReticulated foamRead brief - Footwear
Synthetic upper (PU synthetic leather)
Polyurethane synthetic leather (also called PU leather, synthetic leather, vegan…
Solvent-based PU coated fabricWaterborne PU coated fabric (growing)Solventless PU coated fabricRead brief - Paints, Pigments and Coatings
Waterborne PU dispersions (PUDs)
Waterborne polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) are systems where pre-formed polyuret…
1K PUD2K PUDAnionic PUDRead brief - Building, Construction and Infrastructure
Rigid PU foam for hot water tank and boiler insulation
Residential boilers, electric water heaters (traditional and tankless), solar wa…
Rigid foamInjected PUHFO systemRead brief - Building, Construction and Infrastructure
Acoustic insulation in partitions, floors and ceilings
Architectural acoustic insulation involves two functions: sound insulation (bloc…
Acoustic flexible foamReticulated foamOpen-cell spray foamRead brief - Building, Construction and Infrastructure
Thermal insulation of hydraulic and HVAC pipes
HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) duct insulation uses rigid PU…
Pre-molded rigid foam (half-shells)In-situ PU spray foamElastomer foam board (NBR/PVC with PU)Read brief - Electronics
Electronic device housings in TPU
Housings (external cases) of electronic devices use PU in two main configuration…
Injected TPU (flexible housings)PU reaction injection molding (RIM)TPU over-molding on rigid substrateRead brief - Paints, Pigments and Coatings
PU wood coatings (furniture and construction)
Polyurethane coatings for wood cover a broad spectrum of applications with disti…
1K and 2K waterborne PUTraditional solvent-based PUUV-cure PURead brief - Paints, Pigments and Coatings
PU coatings for plastics (soft-touch, protection)
Coatings for plastics are paint systems specifically formulated to adhere to pol…
Flexible 2K PUSoft-touch PUPU with specific adhesion promotersRead brief - Electronics
Smartphone and tablet cases
Protective cases for smartphones and tablets are one of the largest global TPU m…
Transparent injected TPUTPU with anti-yellowing additivesHybrid TPU-PCRead brief - Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Medical
Orthotics and external prosthetics
Orthoses are external devices that support or correct limb or joint function (an…
Flexible foam for cushions and contact interfacesThermoformable PU for custom rigid structureMedical TPU for linersRead brief - Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Medical
Hospital beds and technical mattresses
Mattresses for hospital beds have requirements very different from residential m…
High-density HR foamMedical viscoelastic foamFoam with antimicrobial treatmentRead brief - Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Medical
Pressure ulcer prevention mattresses
Anti-decubitus mattresses are specialized medical devices for prevention and tre…
Low-density viscoelastic foamMulti-layer HR foam with relief zonesAlternating-air systems with TPU cellsRead brief - Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Medical
CPAP and BPAP respiratory masks
Respiratory masks for CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) and BPAP (Bilev…
Low-hardness medical flexible foamSoft gel TPU for contact cushionsHybrid silicone-PU for facial interfaceRead brief - Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Medical
Medical cutaneous adhesives
Medical skin adhesives are specific formulations for direct adhesion to human sk…
Medical PU hot-meltHybrid PU-acrylic adhesivesSkin-friendly waterborne PURead brief - Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Medical
Hospital furniture washable upholstery
Hospital furniture — reception and waiting chairs, companion armchairs, exam bed…
Medical HR flexible foamWaterproof cover in medical vinyl or laminated TPUFoam with antimicrobial treatmentRead brief - Pulp and Paper
Premium packaging paper coatings
Paper and cardboard used in premium packaging (cosmetics, perfumery, fine chocol…
Waterborne PU coating for paperUV-cure PU for paperPU barrier coating systemsRead brief - Films, Tapes and Release Liners
Outdoor apparel technical films
Membrane technologies for outdoor apparel — rain jackets, technical pants, ski j…
Microporous monolithic TPUAliphatic PU filmsTPU with DWR (Durable Water Repellent) treatmentRead brief - Textiles, Leather and Nonwovens
Outdoor waterproof fabrics
Waterproof fabrics constitute a broad and volume-relevant category, used in mult…
Direct PU coating on fabricPU lamination with pre-fabricated filmWaterborne PU coatingRead brief - Textiles, Leather and Nonwovens
Spandex and elastane fibers
Spandex (generic name in the USA) and elastane (European name) are synthetic ela…
Segmented PU prepolymers for fiber extrusionPU with alternating rigid and flexible blocksSpecialty polyols for elastomericRead brief - Textiles, Leather and Nonwovens
Textile lamination adhesives
Textile lamination is a process where two or more substrates (different fabrics,…
Reactive PU hot-melt adhesive (HMPUR)Waterborne PU adhesiveSolventless PU adhesiveRead brief - Textiles, Leather and Nonwovens
Carpet and rug PU backing
Modern carpets and rugs use PU coatings or foam backings on the bottom face to s…
Waterborne PU backingPU foam backingElastomeric PU backingRead brief - Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Medical
Diaper and hygiene barrier films
Disposable diapers (baby, geriatric), feminine hygiene pads, urinary incontinenc…
TPU barrier filmMicroporous breathable PU filmHypoallergenic PU filmRead brief - Beauty and Personal Care
Cosmetic makeup sponges
Beauty blender-type cosmetic sponges (such as the original Beautyblender brand p…
Hydrophilic reticulated PU foamModified viscoelastic foamSpecific-density flexible foamRead brief - Beauty and Personal Care
Makeup applicators
Makeup applicators are dozens of specific products in addition to beauty blender…
Specific flexible foamHigh-precision reticulated PUTPU for structural components of applicatorsRead brief - Beauty and Personal Care
Premium fragrance packaging
Premium perfumery and fragrance packaging uses PU in specific high-aesthetic-val…
Transparent decorative TPUPremium soft-touch PU coatingsMetallized PURead brief - Home Care, Industrial and Institutional Cleaning
Household cleaning sponges
Domestic cleaning sponges are a massive volume market, with dozens of variations…
Reticulated PU foamNon-reticulated PU foamPU foam with integrated abrasive fiberRead brief