Introduction to TPU Bridging the Gap between Rubber and Plastic

Imagine a material with outstanding toughness that maintains its strength in both stiff and flexible grades, all while offering outstanding design freedom. Sound too good to be true? We just described Polyurethane (TPU)!

Thermoplastic Polyurethane offers an impressive balance of mechanical properties and durability, including:

• Excellent wear and tear resistance
• Good chemical resistance
• Low compression set
• Unique sound and vibration dampening characteristics
• Flexibility without the use of plasticizers
• A wide range of property combinations, making it incredibly adaptable.

TPU Basic Chemistry

TPU has two primary components: a hard segment and a soft segment. The hard segments are isocyanates and are either aromatic or aliphatic. More common TPU grades use aromatic segments, but if your application gets UV light exposure and relies on color and material clarity, we recommend an aliphatic one.

The hard segment defines TPU's processing temperature (as well as its upper temperature limits), tensile strength, chemical resistance, and adhesion characteristics.

The soft segment determines the TPU's lower temperature limits, hardness, flexibility, and compression set. It can be a polyester or polyether type polyol. Polyester-based TPU offers great resistance to oil and hydrocarbons, while polyether-based TPU performs well in moisture- rich and colder environments.

TPU Processability

As a thermoplastic, TPU is melt-processable. It can be extruded, injection molded, compression molded, vacuum formed, solution coated, and blow molded using conventional equipment.

TPU also chemically bonds to many rigid thermoplastic substrates through typical over-molding.

TPU Alloys and Enhancements

Additives can help TPU achieve a range of useful properties. These often include glass fiber (short and long), carbon fiber, UV stabiliziers, hydrolytic stabilizers, flame retardants, lubricants, conductive agents, anti-static agents, and barium sulfate.

By alloying with polycarbonate and other rigid materials, TPU achieves even greater stiffness and strength.

TPU Applications

TPU polymers are available in a hardness range of 60A to 80D, with clear, translucent, and opaque appearances.

When it comes to outstanding toughness, durability, and processing ease, TPU is a versatile performer that bridges the gap between rubbers and plastics.