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Chemistry / Why do some polyurethane shoe soles fall apart?
« on: 23/12/2017 00:16:17 »
I was discussing this with friends, we have all experienced shoes/boots with crumbling soles, it happens irrespective of the amount of wear that the shoes have had. I realise that it is a chemical reaction but what is happening.
A couple of further points, when it happens it appears to be very quick, one week the shoes will be fine the next they soles will be creaking and crumbling. Is the reaction self catalysing, and if so could it spread by contact, if say someone wearing PU soled shoes was step on part of a disintegrated sole? Could it be caused by bacteria or fungi affecting the sole.
I wondered about contagious crumbling because someone said that her and her husbands walking boot soles started to disintegrate in the same week, even though one pair was a couple of years newer than the other.
A couple of further points, when it happens it appears to be very quick, one week the shoes will be fine the next they soles will be creaking and crumbling. Is the reaction self catalysing, and if so could it spread by contact, if say someone wearing PU soled shoes was step on part of a disintegrated sole? Could it be caused by bacteria or fungi affecting the sole.
I wondered about contagious crumbling because someone said that her and her husbands walking boot soles started to disintegrate in the same week, even though one pair was a couple of years newer than the other.