In January 2026, the industry analyzed the core differences between water-based and oil-based polyurethane. Though they have the same chemical structure, they are distinctly different in dispersion medium, performance and application scenarios, becoming a key reference for industry selection. Oil-based polyurethane uses organic solvents as the medium, with film formation relying on solvent volatilization. It has excellent initial performance such as hardness and chemical resistance, but has problems like high VOC emissions, flammability and explosion, and is strictly restricted by environmental regulations. Water-based polyurethane takes water as the main medium, needs cosolvents to assist film formation, features low/zero VOC, safety and non-combustibility, meets global environmental requirements, and is the mainstream development direction now and in the future. In application, oil-based polyurethane focuses on high-performance demand fields such as automotive original paint and heavy machinery anti-corrosion, while water-based polyurethane is rapidly replacing in wood paint, leather finishing and other fields, and also expanding to new scenarios such as 3D printing materials. At present, water-based polyurethane is continuously making up for performance shortcomings through modification technology, replacing oil-based polyurethane in most fields, and only oil-based polyurethane still occupies a place in fields with extreme performance requirements. For more information, please click: https://www.tiktok.com/@mia_iota/video/7597717976720149782