1. TPU is a new type of environmentally friendly material.

Materials are the substances that humans use to manufacture objects, devices, components, machines, and other products; they form the very foundation upon which human survival and development depend. Materials can be categorized into traditional materials (also known as basic materials) and new materials (also known as advanced materials). Since entering the 21st century, new materials have experienced rapid development, and polymer materials are one such category. TPU is a type of polymer material and represents a new kind of environmentally friendly material.

II.     The hardness of TPU is adjusted by varying the proportion of the hard segments.

TPU is a material whose molecular structure contains -NH-COO- groups. The soft segments are composed of long-chain diols and isocyanates, while the hard segments are made up of short-chain diols and isocyanates. Many of TPU’s properties depend on the type of long-chain diol used; its hardness can be adjusted by varying the proportion of hard segments. Its resistance to photoaging can be improved by adding light stabilizers, and it also depends on whether the isocyanate is aromatic or aliphatic.

Three,     Some fields are gradually being replaced by TPUs.

With the development of society and advances in technology, TPU has been gaining increasing popularity due to its superior performance, diverse processing methods, and environmentally friendly characteristics. It has experienced rapid growth across a wide range of fields—including daily consumer goods, sporting goods, toys, electronics and electrical appliances, industrial applications, and decorative materials. For instance, TPU has partially replaced nitrile rubber in the production of sealing rings; it has partly substituted PVC and PE in the manufacture of wires and cables; it has taken the place of cast polyurethane (CPU) in producing elevator wheels and scooter wheels; and it is also used to make spandex fibers through spinning processes. There are numerous TPU brands available, with varying quality levels. When selecting TPU, it’s best to conduct a thorough evaluation and analysis; otherwise, you may not achieve the optimal cost-performance ratio.

Four,     TPU Product Categories

1. Classified by soft segment raw materials

TPU is classified according to the soft segment raw materials into polyester-based, polyether-based, polycarbonate-based, and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene-based types, among others.

The commonly used TPUs are mainly of two types: polyester-based and polyether-based. Polyester-based TPUs exhibit excellent mechanical properties, such as high tensile strength, tear resistance, and hardness. Polyether-based TPUs, primarily of the PTMEG type, have a low glass transition temperature, good hydrolysis stability and mold resistance, as well as relatively good mechanical performance. 
 

2. Classified by the isocyanate used

TPUs are classified according to the type of isocyanate used, including aromatic types (which are not resistant to yellowing) and aliphatic types (which are resistant to yellowing).

Five,     TPU application fields

1. Applications in garment and apparel accessories:  

TPU has been widely used in apparel and fashion items due to its environmentally friendly properties, excellent wear resistance, superior elasticity, pleasant hand feel, and good breathability.

For example: transparent elastic bands (also known as shoulder straps or stretch bands), women’s shoulder straps (which can be used in lingerie or fashion garments, serving either a transparent, invisible function or a decorative purpose), TPU belts (available in two types: simple extruded and coated extruded), clothing labels, trim strips for fashionable garments such as down jackets, and more.

  2. Applications in automotive components:

TPU boasts excellent resilience, cut resistance, weather resistance, and oil resistance, making it suitable for a wide range of automotive components, such as shift lever handles, bushings and washers for various couplings, connectors for different wire harnesses, spiral retractable cables, cable jackets, toothed belts, sheaths and gaskets for steering tie rods, suspension joint hinges, hydraulic and pneumatic components, suspension diaphragms, shock-absorbing diaphragms, shock absorbers, spring stop collars, and more. Additionally, TPU can be combined with other plastics or rubbers to produce parts like automotive bumpers, dashboards, airbags, and dust covers.

3. Applications in footwear materials: 
            Applications of TPU in footwear: decorative pieces for sports shoes, hiking boots, snowshoes, golf shoes, combat boots, ice skates, as well as air cushions, inflatable or liquid-filled shoe soles and midsoles, trimmings, heel pads, outsoles, transparent uppers, labels, and other components. The reason TPU has gained widespread popularity among footwear manufacturers is primarily due to its excellent performance characteristics. 
 

(1) Wide hardness range: By adjusting the proportions of various reactive components in TPU, products with different hardness levels can be obtained. Moreover, as the hardness increases, these products still maintain excellent elasticity and wear resistance.

(2) High mechanical strength: TPU products exhibit outstanding load-bearing capacity, impact resistance, cold resistance, and shock-absorbing performance. Moreover, even in environments as low as -35°C, TPU can still maintain excellent elasticity, flexibility, and other physical properties.

(3) Excellent processability: TPU can be processed using a variety of methods, such as injection molding, extrusion, and calendering. Moreover, when TPU is co-processed with certain polymer materials, it can yield polymer alloys with complementary properties.

4. Applications in pipes and hoses:

Due to their flexibility, excellent tensile strength, impact resistance, and ability to withstand both high and low temperatures, TPU hoses are widely used in China as air- and oil-transfer hoses for mechanical equipment such as aircraft, tanks, automobiles, motorcycles, machine tools, as well as medical tubes, coating tubes, and conveying pipes.

               5. Applications in thin films:

TPU films possess outstanding properties that are unmatched by other plastics and rubbers, including high strength, high toughness, excellent wear resistance, oil resistance, cold resistance, aging resistance, environmental friendliness, non-toxicity, and biodegradability. They also exhibit exceptional performance in waterproofing and moisture permeability, windproofing, cold resistance, antibacterial properties, and UV resistance. As a result, TPU films can be applied in numerous industrial and civil sectors. They represent an ideal replacement for PVC films and are classified as green films. 
 

Widely applicable to: weapon sealing films, field tents, emergency ice packs, life jackets, inflatable boats, and more; air parachutes, inflatable mattresses, wetsuits, snowsuits, swimwear, airbags, sportswear, slimming garments, inflatable sleeping bags, and more; pipe-sealing tapes, workwear for sewer-cleaning operations, raincoats, windbreakers, winter-proof jackets, field uniforms, period underwear, linings, T-shirts, and sportswear fabrics and inner materials; mattress pads, ice packs, bandages, plasma bags, waterproof and breathable clothing and headgear, watch straps, and more.

6. Applications in wires and cables: 
              TPU offers features such as tear resistance, abrasion resistance, and flexibility; its ability to withstand both high and low temperatures is particularly critical for cable performance. Therefore, in the Chinese market, high-end cables—such as control cables and power cables—are often made with TPU, which serves as a protective covering material for cables with complex designs. TPU can be widely used in applications including: power cables, equipment cables, communication cables, sheaths for submarine and oil-exploration cables, and inner and outer jackets for optical fibers.

7. Applications in other fields:

Applications of TPU in other fields: self-aligning wheels, handles, watch straps, various circular hoses, round belts, V-belts, synchronous belts, anti-slip belts, TPU-coated woven tapes, transparent elastic bands, and more. In short, the applications of TPU materials are even broader than we might imagine, and its future development prospects are promising.