What is difference to TPE,TPU and PU?
TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer)
TPE is a thermoplastic elastomer material known for high strength, high elasticity, and injection moldability. It has a wide range of applications, is environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and safe, and offers excellent colorability.
Key Features of TPE:
Eco-friendly, non-toxic, and safe
Wide hardness range, soft touch, good weather resistance, fatigue resistance, and temperature resistance
Excellent processing performance - no vulcanization required
Can be recycled and reused to reduce costs
Can be overmolded onto PP, PE, PC, PS, ABS, etc., or molded independently
Advantages:
Can be processed using standard thermoplastic molding machines - no special equipment required.
Greatly improved production efficiency - injection molding can reduce vulcanization time from ~20 minutes to under 1 minute.
Easy to recycle and reuse waste and defective products, reducing environmental impact and cost.
Energy-saving - lower energy consumption than rubber (e.g., TPE consumes 144 MJ/kg vs. 188 MJ/kg for rubber, saving over 25%).
Broader application fields - combines the advantages of rubber and plastic.
Can enhance and toughen plastics, with simplified formulas and controllable quality.
However, TPE's heat resistance is lower than rubber, and it suffers greater performance decline at higher temperatures. It also has inferior compression set, elasticity recovery, and durability compared to rubber, and is generally more expensive.
TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane)
TPU is a type of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer made from MDI (Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate), TDI (Toluene Diisocyanate), macrodiols, and chain extenders. TPU is typically categorized into polyester-based and polyether-based types.
Key Features of TPU:
Wide hardness range (60HA–85HD)
Excellent wear resistance, oil resistance, transparency, and elasticity
Widely used in consumer goods, sports equipment, toys, decorative materials, etc.
Halogen-free flame-retardant TPU can replace soft PVC for better environmental compliance.
Advantages:
High wear resistance
Adjustable hardness with consistent elasticity
High mechanical strength, excellent impact resistance, and shock absorption
Outstanding low-temperature flexibility (remains elastic below -35°C)
Good processability - can be molded using injection, extrusion, calendaring, etc. Can form polymer blends for enhanced performance
Oil-, water-, and mold-resistant
Highly recyclable
PU (Polyurethane)
PU, short for polyurethane, is a polymer containing -NHCOO- units formed by the reaction of isocyanate and hydroxyl groups. PU is widely used due to its lightweight, wear resistance, softness, and chemical resistance, though it has some downsides.
PU in Use:
Often used in furniture upholstery, such as sofa coverings
Also known as reconstituted leather or synthetic leather
Key Features of PU:
Good physical performance - flexible, bend-resistant, strong tensile strength, and breathable
High breathability and moisture permeability (8000–14000g/24h/cm²), high peel strength, and high water resistance - ideal for waterproof breathable fabrics
Higher cost - some PU fabrics cost 2–3 times more than PVC
Pattern paper for PU surface decoration has limited usage (4–5 times), increasing cost
The embossed rollers used in PU manufacturing have long service life, contributing to higher PU costs
PU synthetic leather has a real leather-like texture, is durable, and affordable, but color options are limited (mainly black and brown), and it is prone to color fading. The base fabric in PU has good tensile strength, and it can be coated or embedded in the material to hide the base layer.