Materials

Rubber is derived from rubber trees, though today, producers predominantly use synthetic rubber. Not all rubber is the same; numerous products are specifically developed by the industry for various applications. Chemists refer to these as elastomers or elastomer products. While "rubber" is a commonly used term, it is somewhat imprecise, often leading to misunderstandings in retail. Customers frequently assume that latex refers to a product made from natural rubber, but this is not always the case: Latex is simply rubber in liquid form, according to the German Rubber Industry Association. The rubber can be either naturally or synthetically produced.

Wool felt is a special type of felt made from sheep's wool, produced as napped or pressed felt. First, the wool is cleaned, combed, and processed into a fleece. If necessary, the raw wool is also dyed. Felting occurs through mechanical fulling, which binds the raw material into a solid structure. The fibers of the fleece are entangled in a disordered manner. This felting process works best with sheep wool, as it has a scaly surface. During fulling, the tiny flakes hook into one another, creating a robust fabric surface.

Polyoxymethylene (abbreviated POM, also known as polyacetals) are high-molecular-weight thermoplastic polymers. The colorless, partially crystalline polymers are mainly used for producing molded parts through injection molding. Due to their high stiffness, low friction coefficients, and good dimensional stability, polyoxymethylenes are used for manufacturing precision parts. A characteristic structural element is an unbranched acetal group (C–O–CH2–O–C). The homopolymer made from formaldehyde is called POM-H and has the structure –(CH2–O–)n (oxymethylene groups). The copolymers (abbreviated POM-C) contain, in addition to numerous acetal groups, –(CH2)m–O– units with 2 or 4 methylene groups. These serve to thermally stabilize the polymer. POM-C has properties similar to POM-H.

Polyurethane (abbreviated PUR; commonly referred to as PU) are plastics or resins that result from the polyaddition reaction of diols (glycols) or polyols with polyisocyanates. A characteristic feature of polyurethanes is the urethane group.
Diols and diisocyanates lead to linear polyurethanes, while crosslinked polyurethanes can be made by reacting triisocyanate-diisocyanate mixtures with triol-diol mixtures. The properties of PU can vary widely. Depending on the degree of crosslinking and/or the type of isocyanate or OH component used, one can obtain thermosets, thermoplastics, or elastomers. Polyurethane foams, both soft and hard, are the most significant in terms of quantity. However, polyurethanes are also used as molding compounds for compression molding, as casting resins (isocyanate resins), as (textile) elastic fibers, polyurethane coatings, and polyurethane adhesives.