PolyOne: Development agreement with Merquinsa on TPU specialty compounds
PolyOne International and Merquinsa have signed a partnership and development agreement to jointly develop and distribute new thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) specialty compounds. The new TPU product range will be marketed under the brand OnFlex-U thermoplastic elastomer compounds.
Under the agreement PolyOne will develop OnFlex-U TPU compounds based on Merquinsa’s PEARLTHANE® TPU specialty elastomers. Further, the Merquinsa-PolyOne alliance provides plans to coordinate research and development efforts to expand OnFlex-U applications and to develop a wide range of novel TPU compounds for extrusion and injection molding markets.
The partnership creates a complementary product line to PolyOne portfolio that already includes OnFlex-S & Bergaflex® (TPE-S), and OnFlex-V (TPE-V) thermoplastic elastomer compounds. The alliance also enables Merquinsa to consolidate its position as a world leading thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) specialty producer by having access to a broader range of specialty markets and applications for its polymers.
OnFlex-U thermoplastic elastomer compounds, based on Merquinsa’s PEARLTHANE ® TPU material give the following properties:
• Excellent abrasion resistance
• Retains flexibility at low temperatures
• Good tensile strength
• High resistance to cut & tear
Typical applications of these OnFlex-U compounds are found in cable sheathing and automotive wire, where halogen-free flame-retardant compounds with increased abrasion resistance, and improved resistance to oil and hydrolysis, are advantageous. Other possible OnFlex-U applications include power cable, hose and conveyor belts, cable jackets, gaskets, hoses, and profiles.
‘This agreement offers our customers a wider range of TPE compounds and supports PolyOne’s continuing efforts to develop our TPE product platform,’ said Marc Setzen, TPE product manager for PolyOne. ‘ Customers will greatly benefit from the combination of PolyOne’s formulation and compounding expertise, and Merquinsa’s PEARLTHANE® TPU technology.’
Speaking for Merquinsa, Jean-Marc Galvez, global business manager, TPU elastomers said “The market for TPU compounds is growing fast in automotive, industrial and ergonomic applications. We see great value in working with PolyOne, a strong market-development partner for high-performance elastomers compounds. This agreement is an example of Merquinsa continuing commitment to invest in and strengthen its PEARLTHANE® TPU specialty elastomers business, which includes a full technology portfolio of TPU tailor-made solutions for the global market place.”
The production of OnFlex-U compounds will begin in Europe & Asia during 2004.