Huntsman’s new thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) offers outdoor clothing improved protective qualities. Jessica Owen reports.
A new thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for outdoor clothing has been developed by global chemical company, Huntsman.
Called IROGRAN A 85 P 4394 HR TPU, this versatile elastomer can be applied to nylon and polyester materials as an extruded laminated film to give them a protective, durable and waterproof layer.
Zarif Mohd Aris, lead scientist, R&D, Huntsman, says: “Developed in close cooperation with several of our textile customers, this new TPU offers significant improvements over previous generation technologies.”
Other performance characteristics include a high tensile strength that aids the stretch and recovery of the materials they are used on to increase their longevity, and good levels of abrasion and tear resistance. The latter makes it ideal for use in bladder applications, in the manufacture of tension fabrics and in industrial textile applications. Materials with the coating also reportedly have a soft hand feel.
Polyether TPUs also have a greater long-term water resistance than polyester grades, which is why IROGRAN A 85 P 4394 HR is suitable for textile lamination applications. This process requires a high-performing material that is able to maintain flexibility yet is also durable and water resistant.
As well as its performance benefits, Huntsman’s new TPU also offers processing advantages over traditional textile laminating TPUs, according to the company. With a high melt strength, IROGRAN A 85 P 4394 HR TPU is stable during production and less likely to break during processing. This enables manufacturers to improve production throughput and lower scrap rates, which in turn reduces waste and keeps costs down.
Aris explains: “Certain TPU grades do not have sufficient melt strength that allows them to be easily processable.”
He adds: “With manufacturing films, via processes such as blown film extrusion, the melt strength is important as it impacts the bubble stability. A high melt strength is required to achieve good gauge control during the film-blowing process. In cast film extrusion, the challenge is seen predominantly in the ability to process at higher speeds – hence the need for a more robust product. A high melt strength product allows for more robust processing to achieve a balance in output and final properties.”
Lastly, the TPU can be recycled and depending on the end-application, films made from IROGRAN A 85 P 4394 HR TPU can be engineered to have different surface finishes, including gloss, smooth and matte effects.
Source: https://www.wtin.com/