Covestro and Teknor Apex to Cooperate on Compounding TPU

An agreement to closely cooperate on compounding TPU has been signed by Covestro, Pittsburgh, Penn., and Teknor Apex, Pawtucket, R.I. This extremely versatile plastic has been produced in pure form by Covestro for many years for use in various industry sectors. Through compounding with various other materials and additives, a particular strength of Teknor Apex, the array of achievable properties can be further increased. Covestro is supporting the marketing of the jointly developed products by Teknor Apex with its Desmoflex brand.

New global head of Covestro’s TPU business Thorsten Dreier said, “We are happy to team-up with such a competent and complementary partner for processing TPU on a global scale…Together with Teknor Apex, we want to develop customized products to grow together with our existing and new customers.”

Said Sachin Sakhalkar, v.p. of Teknor Apex’s TPE Division, “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. 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.