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Polyurethane products are thermoset materials, meaning they cannot be continuously melted and reshaped into new products as can be done with thermoplastics. Recycling technology does exist for many polyurethane products.

Producing polyurethane parts involves a chemical reaction whereby specific polyols, isocyanates and additives are added together in specific quantities under specific conditions to produce a polyurethane product with the properties required for that application. Many of these components are in liquid form before they are combined and react with one another.

Many polyurethane products – such as polyurethane foams – are made by combining two types of monomer units – isocyanates and polyols. You combine these separate monomers to make the polyurethane polymer. Isocyanates are often called Component A, and polyols are often called Component B. Together, Components A and B make up a polyurethane system, that is, the main ingredients needed to produce the polyurethane.