As a popular material for the production of shoe soles, TPU has become more and more popular in recent years with the continuous improvement of its processing technology. TPU Chinese name is a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, which is composed of diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI). Toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and macromolecule polyol, chain extender co-polymerized polymer material. According to the processing method, TPU can be divided into injection molding grade, extrusion grade, blow molding grade, etc. In addition, in a certain At temperature, TPU can become soft, but at room temperature it can remain unchanged, thus becoming a raw material for the production of various types of soles.
As early as 2010, BASF Group in Germany produced a shoe made entirely of TPU. According to Guan Zhihua, President of BASF China, this shoe is made of TPU material from the surface to the sole, which fully embodies the TPU. Under various conditions or soft or hard or light features, and can adapt to a variety of climate changes without deformation. For this shoe, Guan Zhihua stressed that this TPU material shoes can also be recycled, in order to achieve the purpose of green .
Today, the technology for making TPU soles has been upgraded. Recently, Huntsman launched the AVALON 55 AHG TPU. About this product, Craig Roberts, general manager of Huntsman's global footwear market, said that dry and wet resistance In terms of slipperiness, AVALON 55 AHG TPU is superior to any of our previously developed products. And its independent testing also shows that this material exceeds the anti-slip requirements on various substrates. It is understood that this thermoplastic polyurethane, which Anti-slip properties are superior to equivalent hardness vulcanized rubber and other TPU materials. Due to its excellent oil and gasoline resistance, and passed the ISO 13287 certification, it is very suitable for the manufacture of safety shoes. At the same time, it has good abrasion resistance and hydrolysis resistance. Performance also makes this kind of thermoplastic material suitable for the production of sports shoes and casual shoes. In addition, AVALON 55 AHG TPU has shown excellent processing performance on injection molding machines and rotary casting machines.
In addition to Huntsman, the Italian API also introduced new TPU materials - APLON 52 EXP and APLON 52 LIGHT. The soles made of this material are soft, beautiful and lightweight. The material has good chemical adhesion. With force, suitable for secondary molding.
Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomers - TPU, can be favored by the majority of shoe manufacturers, mainly due to its excellent performance.
1. Wide range of hardness: By changing the ratio of the reaction components of TPU, different hardness products can be obtained, and with the increase of hardness, the product still maintains good elasticity and wear resistance.
2. High mechanical strength: The load-bearing capacity, impact resistance, cold resistance and shock-absorbing performance of TPU products are outstanding. In the environment of -35 degrees Celsius, TPU can still maintain good elasticity, flexibility and other physical properties.
3. Good processing performance: TPU can use a variety of processing methods for processing, such as injection molding, extrusion, calendering, etc. At the same time, when TPU and certain polymer materials are processed together, polymer alloys with complementary properties can be obtained.
Today, TPU is not just for the shoe industry, in the fields of automobile parts, pipe lines, working with parts, sheet metal and other films have also been involved. Updates and creation technology is rapidly changing, I believe that not only will continue in the future TPU shoe industry To surprise us, there will be another wave of technology in other industries.