Urethane
Urethane (NH2*COOC2H5) is an ester of carbamic acid in an arrangement created when an isocyanate reacts with a hydroxyl group. It is a white crystalline substance produced by the action of ammonia on ethyl carbonate or by heating urea nitrate and ethyl alcohol. It is used as a hypnotic, antipyretic, and antispasmodic.
Hence, any ester of carbamic acid produced by the reaction of an isocyanate and an alcohol according to the following formula:
H
/
R-N
R-N=C=O + H-O-Q → \
C=O
/
Q-O
Although the reaction had been known for some decades, it was not until 1937 that Otto Bayer discovered how to make a useful plastic out of polyisocyanate and polyol.
Urethane technology was brought to America in 1953 by Jean-Pierre Abbat and Dr. Fritz Hartmann.
When a polyisocyanate reacts with a polyol (a molecule with multiple hydroxyl groups), the result is polyurethane.
