is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC
This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726. Aliphatic TPU
In what it’s calling a first for the footwear industry, chemicals company Huntsman has developed a liquid thermoplastic polyurethane (LTPU) that enables the rapid manufacture of high-performing midsoles while furthering brands’ circularity ambitions.
The SmartLite O LTPU system can be processed in a single step, making it demonstrably easier to use than expanded forms of TPU, which require complex procedures such as supercritical foaming and steam chest molding. The process also uses significantly less water and energy and generates less waste and carbon emissions. Huntsman’s SmartLite O LTPU system can also be converted and repurposed into new materials either in its post-industrial or post-consumer form.
The technology was officially unveiled yesterday, Sept. 19, at SIMAC in Milan and at the FDRA’s Shoe Sustainability Summit in Portland, OR. To launch the product, Huntsman has joined forces with the framas Group. Ready to partner with brands on sampling and the fulfilment of orders, framas has capacity to produce up to two million soling constructions annually using the material.
“For footwear brands pursuing circularity and looking to lower their carbon footprint, SmartLite O LTPU system provides a very clear pathway," said Alexis Bortoluzzi, senior director of global elastomers at Huntsman. “The material stands out from the competition, offering multiple advantages over and above PU, ETPU, and EVA. A number of big brands have already expressed considerable interest in the technology, and we look forward to working with framas to bring the material and all its benefits to market.”
More information on the technology, including videos, is available on the framas website.
More information about text formats
Mobile Tpu Stay on the bleeding edge of plastics innovation with PlasticsToday's coverage of the latest advances in materials.