Eco-Friendly / Non-Toxic Durable Casting Urethane

I'm not a climber. I assume that a "hold" is a feature that allows the climber to "hold" on to the climbing surface?

Can U elaborate on size, mounting (glued, screwed, cast-in-place)?

Hey, sorry I'll try to elaborate. So they are shapes that either try to mimic certain types of rock or go more in the artistic direction and they are mounted to a plywood wall using either screws(small holds) or allen socket bolts(larger holds). Here is a link to a climbing hold manufacturing company, it should give you a good idea at what i'm shooting for. www.etchholds.com

Let me say that we do not do homework here.

But, if you ask for guidance to a solution and are willing to do the work, there are people here who will help you. I think there are some pent up teachers here anyway.

Good luck.

I'm definitely not trying to get you guys to do my homework :) I've been searching the internet for the past week trying to get recipes and find a non-toxic casting urethane but i haven't come up with much. I'm really just hoping for a push in the right direction. I also believe that there is a better way to do what is already being done, and i aim to find it. Thanks, Will

Will,

Please define "non-toxic" and "eco-friendly". All polyurethanes (PUs) are synthesized from polyols reacting with isocyanates. While the resulting PU is nontoxic, it is verrry negligibly biodegradeable. There are always reaction byproducts - these are present in varying degrees. One of these is toluene diisocyanate (TDI). Below what concentration is the TDI considered to be "non-toxic" and/or "eco-friendly"?

The PU resin may also be dissolved in flammable solvents. Does this make them toxic? I would have to say that it does make them non-eco-friendly, but the type of processing that you need to perform could not be done feasibly without the PU being dissolved in solvents.

Best Regards,

Mike

I assume he means non-toxic in the sense of no exudate, no outgassing, nothing that could flake or peel off, or like lead-based catalysts, etc. I'd stay with a molded PU based on MDI and either hexane adipate or polycarbonate polyols. Keep the index around 0.98 with a BDO cure. My main concern would be burning the disposed cast PU or scrap materials. He'd have to do small hand mixes if he doesn't have access to a good meter mix machine. I think I'd also fill the PU with barities or similar for reinforcement and cost reduction.

Could you elaborate on "barities" I think i know what you mean, some sort of filler?

I suspect that carving out of would or similar and dipping in urethane for texture/gripability might be the way to go.

Go to http://www.dritac.com and look at their green products. They market their DriTac 7500 as a 'green' product. They have provided me with tremendous customer service.

Not so sure that this is what you are looking for, but there is a company that is making urethanes from Soy-Beans. http://www.soyol.com/

This is just one of them.....i think there are a few others

Awesome, thats exactly what I was looking for, Thanks!

It seems that no-one here regards any plastic as being completely Environmentally Friendly. However, once you have found your least-bad plastic, you could possibly minimise its usage using fillers. Perhaps sand or crushed (reject) stoneware (known to potters as "grog")? That might also help with grip

Why can't you use a natural product ie Stone or wood? Any material manmade will have the embodied energy of production from fertiliser , tractors etc etc... through to making the product you wish for. This is its inherant embodied energy. Natural materials are the best starting point, as they have low embodied energy, you only have to manipulate them. Toughens your hands for real rock climbing later!

I agree with the Pirate. These materials certainly would meet environmental regs.

I know, that wasn't the question.......................