What is TPU?

TPU is a kind of common material. We can see TPU products in daily life everywhere. For example, buttons in cars, invisible car cover and mobile phone shells are all made from TPU material. In eyes of the masses, rubber, silicone, TPU, TPE and TPV are all plastic. That’s right. However, only in broad definition, they belongs to plastic. In narrower sense, rubber contains silicone while TPU, TPV and TPE are Thermoplastic Elastomer. They are different from plastic. The common plastic material includes PVC, PET, ABS, etc.

Therefore, TPU is a kind of material that stand in the middle between rubber and plastic. Its hardness is also in between. TPU has high tension, high strength and anti-ageing performance, which can be processed into different products through extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, calendering, melt spinning and other technology.

The main feature of TPU includes several points listed below:

1. Wide range of hardness. With the hardness in wide range, TPU can be processed directly rather than adding elasticizer or plasticizer first. After all, plasticizer will release poisonous gas when burning.

2. High mechanic strength. TPU products have good carrying capacity, impact resistance and vibration dampening performance.

3. Excellent low temperature resistance. When in temperature of 35 below zero, TPU products still have good elasticity, softness and keep its good physical performance.

4. Recyclable. Compared with thermosetting plastic like rubber, TPU products can be heat melted and reprocessed into new products.

5. Stink-proof, waterproof, oil resistance, salt tolerance and mildew resistance. No smell even be burned.

6. Eco-friendly. TPU will decompose in water in 5 years without releasing toxic substance.

In conclusion, TPU can be regarded as one kind of plastic in broad definition. But TPU is absolutely different from common plastic. Because of its environmentally friendly performance and stable performance, TPU is widely used.