Polyurethane Beads for Slush Molding Powder - THERPUS

The use of polymers in the automobile industry

Polyurethane Beads for Powder Slush Molding

THERPUS is a thermoplastic polyurethane resin (TPU) with a very precisely engineered particle form and a narrow particle size distribution. It is held in high regard in the industry due to its application as a skin material in automobile interiors, allowing outstanding appearance, long life, great design flexibility, soft feel and attractive economics. It has taken the place of plasticized PVC for automobile polymer components, which suffers from hardening and cracking over time due to plasticizer migration.

Download the technical data sheet of THERPUS F
Download the whitepaper of THERPUS F (No.485)
Download the whitepaper of THERPUS F (No.498)

Automobile components made of polymers

Automobile Components Made of Polymers

All THERPUS series products are produced at our plants in Japan and US, and are used in all three major automotive production areas – Asia, Europe & North America.  THERPUS polyurethane beads are designed to be used in powder slush molding processes, a common manufacturing process for the automobile industry.  The slush molding process uses a metal mold and the polymer beads are poured into the mold and rotated to conform to the mold and excess material emptied to allow the layer to cool and remove.  THERPUS F excellent powder flow properties allow for greater design flexibility, like deep undercuts, sharper curve radius and grain detail, for automobile components when compared to PVC slush molded components.

THERPUS F

THERPUS F, our latest grade, exhibits a very unique articulated molecular structure. It incorporates crystalline regions which are hard at temperatures under 140 C but soft at temperatures over 150C. This permits the formation of a thinner skin with high tensile strength, excellent durability and a soft, leather-like feel, thus allowing for complex design features and superior feel of touch.