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TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer), due to excellent physical and mechanical properties, such as high strength, high toughness, high elasticity, high modulus, but also chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, oil resistance, vibration damping ability, such as excellent comprehensive performance, good processing performance, is widely used in shoes, cables, film, tubing, automotive, medical and other industries.

Among them, shoe materials accounted for up to 31%, is the main market for TPU applications, specifically including sports shoes, leather shoes, hiking shoes, air cushions, shoe uppers, labels, and so on.

As a thermoplastic elastomer, TPU is environmentally friendly and recyclable, the injection molding process is highly efficient, and lighter weight is its advantages in capturing the shoe outsole application market, specifically the following advantages:

Strong abrasion resistance: TPU shoe material outsole has excellent abrasion resistance, which can withstand long-term use and heavy pressure without easy wear.

Good anti-slip: TPU outsole has good anti-slip performance in different ground conditions, providing stable walking and running experience.

Lightweight: Compared with traditional sole materials, TPU shoe outsole is lighter, which helps to reduce the overall weight of shoes.

Easy to process: TPU material has good plasticity and can be processed through hot pressing and other processing techniques to create complex sole designs.

However, there are also bottlenecks in the development of TPU, such as improving the non-slip performance, improving the abrasion resistance, and so on. The soles of shoes are in direct contact with the ground and are often squeezed and rubbed, so the wear resistance of the sole material is very high. Although TPU is wear-resistant, improving the wear resistance of TPU shoe material is still a big challenge for all the major manufacturers to face.

Ways to improve the abrasion resistance of TPU shoe soles:

Choose high-quality TPU materials: using good quality raw materials can improve the abrasion resistance of shoe soles. Make sure to purchase standard-compliant TPU materials from reliable suppliers.

Optimise sole design: Reasonable sole structure and pattern design can increase the abrasion resistance of the sole. Improve the abrasion resistance by increasing the thickness of the sole and changing the shape of the grain.

Adding Anti-wear agent for shoe materials: In the production and processing of shoe soles, add a suitable Anti-wear agent to enhance the wear-resistant performance of shoe soles.

SILIKE Anti-wear agent Anti-abrasion masterbatches——an efficient way to enhance the abrasion resistance of TPU soles

SILIKE Anti-wear agent Anti-abrasion masterbatches NM series is particularly developed for the footwear industry. Currently, we have 4 grades that are respectively suitable for EVA/PVC, TPR/TR, RUBBER, and TPU shoe soles. A small addition of them can effectively improve the final item’s abrasion resistance and decrease the abrasion value in the thermoplastics. Effective for DIN, ASTM, NBS, AKRON, SATRA, and GB abrasion tests.

SILIKE Anti-wear agent NM-6 is a pelletized formulation with 50% active ingredient dispersed in Thermoplastic polyurethanes ( TPU ). It’s particularly developed for TPU shoe’s sole compounds, helping to improve the final items’ abrasion resistance and decrease the abrasion value in the thermoplastics.

Compared to conventional lower molecular weight Silicone / Siloxane additives, like Silicone oil, silicone fluids, or other type abrasion additives, SILIKE Anti-abrasion Masterbatch NM-6 is expected to give a much better abrasion resistance property without any influence on hardness and color.

SILIKE Anti-wear agent NM-6 is suitable for TPU footwear and other TPU-compatible plastics and has the following properties:

(1) Improved abrasion resistance with decreased abrasion value

(2) Impart the processing performance and final items’ appearance

(3) Eco-friendly

(4) No influence on hardness and color

(5) Effective for DIN, ASTM, NBS, AKRON, SATRA, and GB abrasion tests

The addition of SILIKE Anti-wear agent NM-6 in small quantities can improve processing performance and surface quality. When added to TPU or similar thermoplastic at 0.2 to 1%, improved processing and flow of the resin are expected, including better mold filling, less extruder torque, internal lubricants, mold release, and faster throughput; At a higher addition level, 1~2%, improved surface properties are expected, including lubricity, slip, lower coefficient of friction and greater mar/scratch and abrasion resistance.

Of course, different scenarios will have different additive solutions, and the additive ratio of the Anti-wear agent needs to be adjusted according to the actual situation. If you want to improve the wear-resistant performance of TPU footwear materials, SILIKE can provide you with perfect solutions, and we look forward to cooperating with you.

Tel: +86-28-83625089/+ 86-15108280799  Email: amy.wang@silike.cn

Website: www.siliketech.com