Materials manufacturer Covestro and global plastics compounder Teknor Apex intend to cooperate closely on compounding thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and have signed a cooperation agreement to this effect. TPU is an extremely versatile plastic, which Covestro has been producing in pure form for many years for use in various industry sectors. Through compounding, i.e. mixing with other materials, the array of achievable properties can be increased considerably further. This is a particular strength of Teknor Apex.
"We are happy to team-up with such a competent and complementary partner for processing TPU on a global scale," says Dr. Thorsten Dreier, the new global head of the TPU business at Covestro. "Together with Teknor Apex, we want to develop customized products to grow together with our existing and new customers." Covestro supports the marketing of the jointly developed products by Teknor Apex with its Desmoflex® brand.
"We are excited to become Covestro's preferred global compounding partner. The combination of Covestro's expertise in TPU resin with Teknor Apex's custom formulation and compounding capabilities provide a compelling value driver for our combined customers worldwide," says Sachin Sakhalkar, Vice President, TPE Division, at Teknor Apex. "This new cooperation strengthens our promise to our customers and partners who depend on us to bring tailored solutions for their application needs."
Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is used in the automotive industry, in sports and leisure articles, the IT and electronics industry, medical technology and other sectors and can be made with various properties, ranging from soft to hard and from elastic to stiff, depending on customer requirements. All products have in common a high abrasion and wear resistance as well as chemical and weather resistance. The plastic granulate can be processed into profiles, strips, hoses, fibers, films or foams.
Formulating and compounding steps can be used to create an additional value proposition compared to just a neat resin. For instance, specific end-use requirements such as flame retardancy, adhesion, appearance and haptics etc. can be enhanced through specific formulation and compounding techniques.
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