Why is PU Anti-Abrasion Agent Better?

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.

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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.

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Website: www.siliketech.com

There are various materials for sports shoe soles,with different anti-abrasion.

Each has its unique characteristics and advantages and disadvantages.

Here are several common sports shoe sole materials and their characteristics:

1.Rubber shoe sole:

Characteristics:

Rubber is a polymer compound with good elasticity, anti-abrasion, resistance to bending, compression resistance, and can also play a certain role in shock absorption. Rubber soles can be adjusted according to usage scenarios, such as adding wear-resistant formulas to make wear-resistant rubber soles, or adding transparent material formulas to make transparent rubber soles.

Advantages: Good anti-abrasion, anti slip, high softness, good ductility, waterproof, and stable shrinkage.

Disadvantages: Relatively heavy, not breathable, and afraid of oil erosion when the hardness is low.

Goto Yourun Synthetic Material to know more.

2. EVA shoe sole(ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer):

Characteristics:

EVA is a lightweight material with excellent cushioning performance. EVA shoe soles are lightweight, easy to process, not prone to wrinkling, have good resilience and tensile strength, high toughness, and also have good coloring properties.

Advantages:

Lightweight, soft, good resilience, and excellent cushioning performance.

Disadvantages:

Poor anti-abrasion, average slip resistance, and elasticity may weaken after prolonged wearing.

3.TPU shoe sole(thermoplastic polyurethane):

Characteristics:

TPU is an elastic material that can soften at a certain temperature and remain unchanged at room temperature. It has excellent characteristics of high tension, high tensile strength, toughness, and aging resistance, and is also an environmentally friendly material.

Advantages:

Good anti-abrasion, strong tear resistance, lightweight, easy to process into various colors (including transparent).

Disadvantages:

Not resistant to strong polar solvents and strong acid-base media, not resistant to high temperatures, relatively high price.

4.PU shoe sole(Polyurethane):

Characteristics:

PU substrate has good anti-abrasion, insulation, bending resistance, and anti slip performance. However, polyester based PU substrates are prone to hydrolysis in high temperature and high humidity environments.

Advantages: Good anti-abrasion, slip resistant, and good softness.

Disadvantages:

Polyester PU bottom is sensitive to water and prone to hydrolysis; Meanwhile, PU shoe soles may also have the disadvantage of easily absorbing water.

5.MD shoe sole(EVA Secondary Foam):

Characteristics:

MD shoe sole is a polymer material made of EVA after secondary foaming, which has the characteristics of lightweight, good elasticity, good cushioning and stability.

Advantages:

Poor anti-abrasion,lightweight, shock-absorbing, and stable.

Disadvantages:

prone to wrinkling and shrinkage deformation.

6.TPR shoe sole(thermoplastic rubber):

Characteristics:  

TPR shoe sole is an upgraded version of EVA treated with special technology, which is lightweight, comfortable, highly elastic, easy to stain, breathable, and has high strength. Especially, it has excellent low temperature resistance, high friction coefficient, and strong grip.

Advantages:

High elasticity, low temperature resistance, strong grip.

Disadvantages:

The material is relatively heavy, the anti-abrasion is average, the softness is poor, and the shock absorption capacity is limited.

To improve the wear resistance of the sole, various additives can be added.

These additives play a key role in improving the wear resistance of EVA shoe soles. One of them is silicone anti-abrasion agent.

Mechanism of action:

Anti-abrasion agents increase the hardness and scratch resistance of the material surface, reduce wear, and thus extend the service life of the shoe sole.

Dosage:

The amount of anti-abrasion agent added needs to be determined according to the specific product formula and performance requirements. It is usually added within a certain range (5%~10%) to achieve the best wear-resistant effect.

The company is the world’s best PU Anti-Abrasion Agent supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.