What is the difference between TPR material and TPU material?

TPR (thermoplastic rubber) and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) are common elastomer materials. Due to their different performance characteristics, there are significant differences in the application scenarios of various industries. Understanding the core difference between the two is the key to choosing suitable materials.

The molecular structure and basic properties are significantly different. TPR is a blend of rubber and plastic. The molecular chain contains a rubber phase. It is rubber elastic at room temperature, soft to the touch (hardness range 50A-90A), and has a rubber-like resilience (rebound rate 60%-80%); TPU is polymerized by isocyanate and polyol. The molecular chain contains rigid urethane groups, with a wider hardness coverage (60A-85D), higher tensile strength (up to 60MPa, TPR is usually 10-30MPa), and better tear resistance.

Environmental resistance and processing performance each have their own emphasis. TPR has a narrow temperature resistance range (-40℃ to 80℃), and will swell if in contact with oil for a long time, but it has good processing fluidity and can be directly injection molded. The scrap recovery rate is 100%, which is suitable for small batch and multi-variety production; TPU has better temperature resistance (-40℃ to 120℃), excellent oil resistance and hydrolysis resistance, and its service life in a humid environment is 3-5 times that of TPR, but the temperature must be strictly controlled during processing (180-220℃), otherwise it is easy to degrade, and the proportion of recycled materials used is usually no more than 30%.

The application fields are obviously differentiated due to their characteristics. TPR is widely used in daily necessities (such as toothbrush handles, sealing strips), toys (elastic balls, bracelets) and other fields due to its soft touch and low cost. It is often used as the midsole in shoes to provide a comfortable feel. TPU, due to its high strength and weather resistance, has become the preferred material for industrial products (hydraulic pipes, seals), sports equipment (yoga mats, ski boots), and electronic accessories (mobile phone cases). In the automotive industry, sealing strips made of TPU can withstand high temperatures in the engine compartment and have a service life of more than 8 years.

When choosing, you need to combine product requirements: choose TPR if you focus on feel and cost control, and choose TPU if you emphasize strength and environmental resistance. The two materials are highly complementary and jointly cover the demand for elastic materials from daily necessities to industrial components, promoting product performance upgrades in various fields.