As a high-performance elastomeric material, Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) is widely used in the wire and cable industry due to its excellent wear resistance, oil resistance, weather resistance and high flexibility. Compared with traditional polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and rubber, TPU material has better environmental adaptability and is particularly suitable for cable sheaths under harsh working conditions.
Against the background of rapid development of industrial automation and robotics technology, drag chain cables, flexible cables, etc. need to be used for a long time in high-frequency bending and torsion environments, which puts forward higher fatigue resistance requirements for cable sheath materials. Polyurethane materials have become an ideal choice for industrial automation equipment with their extremely high flexibility and bending resistance.
Application Characteristics:
Long Bending Resistance life: suitable for drag chain cables, can withstand millions of bending times.
Strong Tear Resistance: prevents cable damage under high mechanical stress environments.
Oil-Resistant and Chemical-Resistant: suitable for machine tools, machinery manufacturing and other industries.
The rail transit and automotive industries have strict requirements on the high and low temperature resistance, flame retardancy and vibration resistance of cable sheath materials. TPU materials have excellent weather resistance, low temperature resistance and impact resistance, and are widely used in cables for high-speed railways, subways, buses and new energy vehicles, mainly for the sheath and insulation of high-voltage lines.
Application Characteristics:
Excellent Low Temperature Resistance: It can still maintain flexibility below -40°C, suitable for railway systems in cold climates.
High Wear Resistance: It is not easy to age under long-term vibration and friction.
Good Flame Retardant Performance (some modified TPU can reach UL 94 V-0 level).
The medical industry has extremely high safety requirements for cable materials. Thermoplastic polyurethane materials are widely used in connecting cables for medical equipment due to their good biocompatibility. In addition to medical equipment cables, thermoplastic polyurethane can also be used in the manufacture of medical imaging catheters.
Application Characteristics:
Good biocompatibility: not easy to cause allergic or toxic reactions in the human body.
Strong disinfection resistance: can withstand alcohol, ethylene oxide (EtO) and high temperature sterilization.
High softness: ensure the flexibility of medical equipment cables and facilitate operation.
Foamed TPU and waterproof TPU materials have excellent hydrolysis resistance and antimicrobial properties, and can be immersed in underwater environments for a long time. Therefore, they are used for underwater cable sheaths in underwater robots, marine sensors, oil drilling platforms and other fields.
Application Characteristics:
Resistant to seawater corrosion, not easy to degrade after long-term immersion.
Resistant to microbial erosion, suitable for sewage treatment, cable protective sheaths, etc.
Good high pressure resistance, suitable for deep-sea operation cables.
With the increasingly stringent environmental regulations, TPU has gradually become an ideal material for low smoke halogen-free (LSZH) cable sheaths, and is widely used in building cables, data center cables and communication optical cables.
Application Features:
Low smoke and halogen-free, no harmful halogen gas is released when burning, and it meets RoHS and REACH certification requirements.
Flame retardant properties can be optimized, and some special formula TPU can meet UL 94 V-0 standards.
Anti-ultraviolet aging, suitable for outdoor communication and data cables.
Development of high-performance modified Thermoplastic Polyurethane materials: With the increase in application demand, the performance of TPU in terms of temperature resistance, flame retardancy, and anti-aging will be further improved in the future.
Research on recyclable thermoplastic polyurethane materials: With increasingly stringent environmental regulations, recyclable TPU will become a key development direction for the cable industry.
Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) occupies an important position in the wire and cable industry with its excellent wear resistance, weather resistance, flexibility and environmental protection characteristics. From industrial automation, rail transportation, medical treatment, marine engineering to environmentally friendly cables, TPU is gradually replacing traditional materials and becoming one of the key choices in the future cable industry. With the advancement of technology and the growth of market demand, the application prospects of TPU in the field of wires and cables will be broader.
