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Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomer (TPUR)

Advantages

  1. Excellent abrasion resistance, wear resistance, and tear strength
  2. High tensile strength
  3. High dynamic load-bearing capacity
  4. Low coefficient of friction
  5. Good UV, weathering, oxygen, and fungus resistance
  6. Good resistance to non-polar fluids

Limitations

  1. Narrow hardness range compared to other TPEs
  2. Low upper service temperature limit
  3. Susceptible to hydrolytic attack by acid and base solutions and by pure water at elevated temperatures
  4. Limited resistance to halogenated solvents
  5. Can be "tricky" to process; TPUs are more sensitive to temperature and shear than other TPEs
  6. Must be dried before processing

Overview

All thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers exhibit excellent abrasion and wear resistance and high tensile and tear strengths. Low creep and low stress relaxation rates make them ideal candidates for dynamic load-bearing applications. The inherent translucency of TPUs make them easy to color and is an added functional benefit in many applications.

Ester type TPUs exhibit excellent resistant to non-polar hydrocarbon based solvents, oils, greases and fuels. They are more susceptible to hydrolytic attack than ether type TPUs. Service temperatures range from -90 to 200 degrees F (-65 to 90 degrees C); hardness ranges from 55 to 80 Shore D.

Ether type TPUs exhibit better hydrolytic stability than ester types, but do not perform quite as well with respect to hydrocarbon resistance. Service temperatures range from -100 to 160 degrees F (-70 to 70 degrees C); hardness ranges from 70 Shore A to 75 Shore D.

RTP Technologies that can be applied to thermoplastic urethane elastomers include: glass fiber reinforcement, custom colors, specific gravity adjustment, , anti-static and conductivity modification, flame retardancy, and wear resistant lubrication.