(pronounced pah-lee-YUR-ah-thayn)

Sometimes abbreviated as PU (if you’re cool), polyurethane is a type of polymer (think plastic) with molecular bonds that lend the product to a myriad of useful applications. Heck, it even has its own organization: The Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI). No kidding. It’s used in countless consumer products, but, of course, we’re including it here because it’s used in countless design industry related products as well: flexible foam in upholstered furniture; rigid foam as insulation in walls; sealants in plumbing, construction, and windows; foam flooring underlay; floor top coatings (for durability). It’s even used to make some of those hard plastic parts that you’ll on everything from kitchen appliances to open office furniture systems.