As we all know, polyurethane products have already penetrated into every aspect of our daily life. The breadth of its penetration is staggering, and it can even be seen in the field of family planning.
Compared with condoms made of other materials, polyurethane condoms have three significant advantages: ultra-thin, safe, and hypoallergenic.
In this issue, I watch PU every day, and the editor will take you to know the good news for people with rubber allergies-safe and considerate PU condoms.
In terms of material, the condoms currently on the market are roughly divided into the following types:
1. Natural sheepskin condoms. The material is sheepskin membrane. Condoms of this material have a long history and have been used for hundreds of years. It has better thermal conductivity and tactility than ordinary latex condoms, but due to the material pores, sheepskin condoms can only be used for contraception and cannot block the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Because some people pursue “pure natural”, there are still Use sparingly.
2. Liquid condoms. It is a water-soluble, odorless, transparent paste liquid, which is composed of octoxynyl alcohol, nonoxynyl alcohol, benzalkonium chloride and other spermicides, and it becomes gel in normal state. Liquid condoms may lead to unwanted pregnancy under certain circumstances, but due to the effect of the spermicide, most of the sperm motility at this time is reduced, and there is a certain risk of deformity for the baby.
3. Latex condoms are the cheapest, most popular and most used type of condom. It is highly stretchable, wear-resistant and comes in different textures, flavors, shapes, colors and sizes. However, latex condoms should not come into contact with oil, otherwise they are very easy to break or slip off. Use a water-based or silicone-based lube if necessary.
4. Polyurethane condoms. Polyurethane condoms are the most common non-latex condoms, and water-based polyurethane materials are currently mainly used. Compared with latex condoms, polyurethane condoms have the following advantages: better thermal conductivity, less sensitivity to temperature and ultraviolet rays, and greater strength. High density, can effectively block viruses such as HIV (AIDS virus) and HBV (hepatitis B virus). The thinnest latex condom can only reach 0.03mm, while the polyurethane condom can be made extremely thin. The 0.02mm in the market and the 0.01mm sold out for a long time are all made of polyurethane. In addition, the raw materials of natural latex condoms contain a certain amount of water-soluble protein that cannot be removed, which will cause allergic reactions in some people, and polyurethane condoms are therefore a good news for people with latex allergies. In addition, female condoms are mostly made of polyurethane, and the contraceptive rate can reach more than 95%, but the penetration rate is very low. The disadvantages are also obvious: the elongation rate is lower than that of latex condoms, the breakage rate is higher than that of latex condoms, the air permeability is poor, and the price is expensive.
At present, water-based polyurethane materials are mainly used in coatings, adhesives, dyes and curing agents, which have the characteristics of low modulus and high strength. Water-based polyurethane condoms are the first time that water-based polyurethane is used as a body material, and it has relatively high synthesis technology and molding process difficulty.
To date, latex condoms are still the mainstream. The penetration rate of polyurethane condoms is not high. According to statistics, the main market for polyurethane condoms in 2015 was in the Americas, accounting for more than 53% of the world, followed by the Asia-Pacific region, accounting for about 24%, and the Middle East, Africa and Europe (especially Western Europe) accounted for about 22% of the market share. The Asia-Pacific region, especially East Asia, is a region with rapid development of polyurethane condoms. Because the main production patent owners of ultra-thin water-based polyurethane condoms are Sagami and Okamoto from Japan, Okamoto alone accounts for more than 60% of the condom market share in Japan, so the penetration rate of polyurethane condoms in Japan is relatively high.
In 2017, Lanzhou Ketian developed China’s first 0.01 water-based polyurethane condom, breaking Japan’s monopoly position, and its production lines have also been put into production one after another. In 2017, the annual consumption of condoms in China was as high as 11 billion, while water-based polyurethane condoms accounted for less than 1% of the total. It is believed that with the official launch of Lanzhou Ketian production line, polyurethane condoms will be accepted by more people, and the price will become more advantageous.
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