What is TPU?

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is a unique category of plastic created when a polyaddition reaction occurs between a diisocyanate and one or more diols. First developed in 1937, this versatile polymer is soft and processable when heated, hard when cooled and capable of being reprocessed multiple times without losing structural integrity. Used either as a malleable engineering plastic or as a replacement for hard rubber, TPU is renowned for many things including its: high elongation and tensile strength; its elasticity; and to varying degrees, its ability to resist oil, grease, solvents, chemicals and abrasion. These characteristics make TPU extremely popular across a range of markets and applications. Inherently flexible, it can be extruded or injection molded on conventional thermoplastic manufacturing equipment to create solid components typically for footwear, cable & wire, hose and tube, film and sheet or other industry products. It can also be compounded to create robust plastic moldings or processed using organic solvents to form laminated textiles, protective coatings or functional adhesives.