Kuraray’s new process for film grades of its thermoplastic polyurethane Kuramiron gives material with consistently high quality, little variation in melt viscosity and low gel content, said Akira Matsumoto (pictured), sales manager for Kuraray Europe GmbH, in a 28 Oct interview at the K 2010 show in Düsseldorf
Stable melt viscosity is important for consistent TPU film production, while low gel content is crucial in eliminating “fish eye” — a common and unwanted film defect, Matsumoto added
Kuraray has only recently developed the innovative control technology that allows such grades, said Matsumoto, noting the high concern among film converters about fish eye defects A major use for TPU films is the covering for spiral-wound hose for conveying food ingredients, he said. This is a use where low fish-eye occurrence is valued by processors since a single fish eye is cause for film rejection, Matsumoto noted
Japanese materials supplier Kuraray regards itself as a supplier of speciality TPUs, making only 1500 tonnes of its speciality Kuramiron types, and no commodity TPU types, Matsumoto said
According to the Japanese group, the new process gives durable TPUs with excellent abrasion resistance, compression set and heat resistance
Matsumoto claimed that the new TPU is superior to other TPUs in stability of melt flow viscosity
Kuraray also makes very good soft-touch grades with no plasticiser, claimed Matsumoto. These are alloys with another material — whose nature he declined to reveal
“Such alloys also give very good bonding to a range of plastics, including ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) and PC (polycarbonate) for two part mouldings,” he said
High adhesion to engineering plastics is valuable in many soft-touch uses where the TPU is overmoulded onto a hard plastic for a handle with good grip or pleasant feel
Because of such attractive qualities, these Kuramiron TPU grades sell well despite their high costs, Matsumoto said
Kuraray judges the time is right to try selling its TPUs in Europe, and used K to expose customers in the region to the materials, testing the waters against the strong domestic TPU producers in Germany and across Europe — a “very challenging” prospect, Matsumoto commented
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