WO2014011132A2

WO2014011132A2 - Low-density thermoplastic polyurethane (tpu) rubber

Info

Publication number: WO2014011132A2
Application number: PCT/TR2013/000242
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kaçar FUAT; Günday YASAR
Original assignee: Arya Polimer Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Şirketi
Priority date: 2012-07-13
Filing date: 2013-07-11
Publication date: 2014-01-16
Also published as: PL410884A1; WO2014011132A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a low-density thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber employed in the clothing industry, household linens industry, healthcare industry and many products in daily life, and is characterized in that it is composed by adding foaming agent (HYDROCEROL BIH-OXABRF20930) to the ether or ester-based thermoplastic polyurethane at a range of 40 to 90 shores to lower polyurethane density and decrease product weight, and increasing thickness-based flexibility.

Description

DESCRIPTION

LOW-DENSITY THERMOPLASTIC POLYURETHANE (TPU) RUBBER The present invention relates to a low-density thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber employed in the clothing industry, household linens industry, healthcare industry and many products in daily life.

Today, latex rubber is employed in a wide array of products frequently used in daily life, including but not limited to swimwears, bikinis, shorts, underwear, diapers, bonnets, shoe covers, vascular tourniquets, tapes, sticking plasters, insulating tapes, electrical tapes, masks (dust and odour masks used by physicians and patients in the healthcare industry, etc.). neck card holders, household linens, socks, etc. Latex is defined as natural plastic (or rubber). It is kind of a material derived from the sap of the tree, Hevea brasiliensis, grown in Northern and South Eastern Asia, and employed, after certain processes, as a raw material for many substances used in daily life. Natural rubber differs from butyl- or petroleum-derived synthetic rubber. The skin surface coming in contact with latex-containing products suffers allergy accompanied by the symptoms of redness, itching, dropsy and crust formation. Not the latex proteins but agents such as mercaptobenzothiazole, thiuram and and carbamate employed during processing the natural latex (e.g production of rubber gloves) are responsible for such kinds of allergies. Furthermore, the rubber surface and protuberances thereon are not of the same hardness level. As skin integrity is impaired due to contact eczema, such patients may suffer real latex allergy in time once latex proteins are absorbed through skin cracks. Such disease also called type I or early type hypersensitivity is the most serious form of latex allergy. It may lead to allergic reactions that may even be fatal. It is typically observed in atopic patients. It further leads to the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, eye allergy, allergic asthma, and anaphylaxis (allergic shock). Once ultrafine air-borne latex particles enter in the respiratory tract, they, as exactly with pollens and house dust allergies, trigger following allergic reactions: eye itching and lachrymation, nasal discharge, nasal itching, sneezing, respiratory disorder, wheezing and rasping breath, coughing, chest tightness, itchy skin rashes (urticaria), swelling (angioedema), and anaphylaxis accompanied by the combination of all symptoms as well as hypotension. Latex allergy has a prevalence of 2.5% in the overall society, 9-15% in physicians and nurses, 4% in dentists, 3% in laboratory workers, and 65% in children with congenital urinary tract anomalies. People with atopic (allergic) structure, patients that have undergone recurring operations (such as congenital urinary tract anomaly, shunt surgeries), patients using urinary tract catheters due to urine incontinence, patients with cerebral palsy, persons involved in latex manufacturing as well as physicians, dentists, nurses and medical attendants are particularly at risk.

The present invention that relates to a low-density thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber employed in the clothing industry, household linens industry, healthcare industry and many products in daily life fully overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages , and is characterized in that it is composed by adding foaming agent (HYDROCEROL BIH-OXABRF20930) to the ether or ester-based thermoplastic polyurethane at a range of 40 to 90 shores to lower polyurethane density and decrease product weight, and increasing thickness-based flexibility.

Thanks to our invention, a porous, soft thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber offering air-permeability for human skin is obtained.

The human-allergic composition, heavy physical structure, highly sweating nature due to air impermeabilityand poor solar heat resistance of latex rubber that is employed in a wide array of daily products within the clothing industry, household linens industry and healthcare industry, and that constitutes the essence of our invention has been eliminated. Hence, a lighter and softer product with flexibility comparable to that of latex rubber and knitted rubber, and further offering air permeability for the skin to avoid irritation thanks to the gaps formed during its contact with the skin as a result of its rough surface is obtained. The typical disadvantage of melting of latex rabber within 1-2 months upon contact with sea water, pool water chemicals and solar heat during its use in swimwear, bikinis and shorts, rendering the product dysfunctional has been prevented.

In our invention, contrary to typical latex and other plastic products, our product minimizes allergic reactions, repels any potential bacterial growth and retains its physical form as it does not locally absorb detergents, pool and similar chemicals, sweat, tanning oil, sea water, chloride and other chemicals at contact with exterior matters. Thanks to these characteristics, the product offers long-term service in appropriate areas of use. Moreover, it also offers lower cost compared to other rubber products.

A comparison of low-density thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber to typical latex rubber employed in the production of swimwear reveals that most of the actual complaints for the swimwear usually stem from the latter's rubber component. The complaints specifically reveal that, when the rubber components of the swimwear are not washed with detergent, dried in the shade and then retained in a special bag after drying, they melt within 7-45 days after contact with sea/pool water and solar lights, and further cause skin redness and subsequently itching and wound formation due to its allergic characteristics. Given these conditions, it can easily be observed that our product offers superior advantages.

The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings provided as an exemplification of the embodiment, wherein;

Figure 1 is the sectional view of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber.

Description of references:

NO PART NAME

1 Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber 2 Pores

3 Protuberance

The invention is made of low-density thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber (1) with pores (2) and protuberances (3) on its surface that allow air permeability for the human skin, by adding foaming agent (HYDROCEROL BIH-OXABRF20930) to the ether or ester-based thermoplastic polyurethane at a range of 40 to 90 shores, lowering polyurethane density into a resulting decreased product weight and increasing thickness- based flexibility.

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber (1) obtained from such low-density raw material mixture has a flexibility comparable to that of latex rubber and knitted rubber, is softer, lighter and more durable. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber (1) can be manufactured in fiat, round, triangular, square, rectangular, hollow, solid, half-round and strip forms in a width range of 2 mm to 300 mm and thickness range of 0.07 mm to 10 mm.

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber (1) has fully eliminated the hazardous aspects of latex rubber for human health. The invention ensures use with no impact on human health in a wide array of products in the clothing industry, household linens industry and healthcare industry. Furthermore, the product of the invention can be sown to the fabric. The protuberances (3) on its surface allow smooth sewing for textile suppliers during the manufacturing phase. As there is no need to use powder or any other similar material, no damage is caused to machines during the sewing process. Both time and cost savings are yielded. And the most critical advantage of the invention is that chopping of rain forests hosting the trees 'hevea brasiliensis', the essence of latex, would be avoided.

Claims

CLAIMS 1- The present invention that relates to a low-density thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber employed in the clothing industry, household linens industry, healthcare industry and many products in daily life, characterized in that it is composed of pores (2) and protuberances (3) on its surface that allow air permeability for the human skin, by adding foaming agent (HYDROCEROL BIH-OXABRF20930) to the ether or ester- based thermoplastic polyurethane to lower polyurethane density and decrease product weight, and increasing thickness-based flexibility.

2- Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) rubber (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that it can be manufactured in flat, round, triangular, square, rectangular, hollow, solid, half-round and strip forms.