tpu vs eva foam
Foam Material – EVA & TPU
Foaming material
A pair of running shoes is divided into three parts: upper, midsole and outsole. The midsole is the soul of running shoes and the core symbol that distinguishes major manufacturers.
The function of the midsole is to provide stability, cushioning, rebound, absorb the impact generated during exercise, and provide protection and a softer foot feel during exercise.
How to choose the rubber material formula of the midsole is very important for the entire pair of sneakers. The main midsole materials now include EVA, TPU, POE, EDPM, etc.
EVA foaming material
In the past 20 years, there is a material that has completely changed the shoemaking industry, that is EVA. By EVA foam, the sole can be made light enough, and the EVA sheet resin with a certain elasticity can make the sole have appropriate cushioning function. Since then, most casual shoes and jogging shoes have used EVA as the sole material.
In the footwear industry, in-mold foaming generally refers to placing EVA pellets into a foaming mold and applying high temperature (160-180 degrees Celsius) and high pressure (above 150KG/cm2) to make it foam. In addition, there are traditional flat foaming and
Injection foaming
The EVA foam sheet formula consists of a lubricant (stearic acid), a bridging agent (DCP), a foaming agent (AC series), a foaming accelerator (zinc oxide), a filler (calcium carbonate) and EVA raw materials. In order to improve the physical properties of EVA products, a certain proportion of rubber (natural or artificial) will be added, and the process flow is similar to the rubber-free formula.
TPU foam material as shoe material
In addition to EVA foam material, another important sole material is TPU thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer. TPU material has stronger shock absorption and durability than EVA, but the material is heavier than EVA and tends to turn yellow. In addition, it has the following three advantages:
1. The formula plasticity is very large, and products from the softest to the hardest can be produced by adjusting the formula;
2. It is particularly wear-resistant, and its wear resistance is 2 times higher than that of the most wear-resistant natural rubber;
3. It can be made into very transparent or any color products.
Since TPU could not be made into microporous foam before, it was mainly used for outsoles. The usual practice was to use foamed EVA as the midsole and then stick a thin layer of TPU on the bottom to make the outsole, so that the shoes were both light and wear-resistant. However, in recent years, a new foaming technology launched by BASF has made it possible for TPU to fully challenge EVA in the application of footwear. This foaming technology is also known as "popcorn" (E-TPU) in the industry. It can make shoes as light as EVA. The key is to have excellent resilience, that is, to have a better cushioning effect than EVA.
Global EVA production capacity distribution
With the development of the EVA resin industry, the global EVA resin production capacity has steadily increased, and the global EVA production capacity is mainly concentrated in Asia and North America. Mainland China has surpassed the United States to become the world's largest EVA resin production area, with a production capacity of 972,000 tons/year.
Supply and demand of EVA in my country
In recent years, with the vigorous development of my country's functional greenhouse film, packaging film, shoe materials, hot melt adhesive and other industries, the demand for EVA resin products has also increased. In 2012, my country's apparent consumption of EVA resin was about 880,000 tons, which increased to about 1.3 million tons in 2016, and is expected to increase to more than 1.4 million tons in 2017. From 2012 to 2017, the average annual growth rate of my country's apparent consumption of EVA resin reached more than 10%.
Before 2008, the largest application field of EVA resin in my country was foam products, mainly foam shoe materials, and the consumption of EVA foam sheets accounted for more than 60% of the total consumption. In 2010, the proportion of EVA resin consumption in the field of foam products dropped to about 51%, and further dropped to about 45% in 2015. Emerging fields such as solar encapsulation materials, wires and cables, and hot melt adhesives are in a vigorous development stage, and the proportion of consumption is rising rapidly. With the changes in the hot spots in the EVA consumption field, the consumption structure of EVA resin in my country has also undergone major changes.
The Asia-Pacific region is the world's largest TPU production and consumption region. In 2012, the output of TPU products in the Asia-Pacific region reached 249,300 tons, accounting for 58% of the global output. The output in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and the Americas accounted for 25% and 17% of the global output respectively.
Supply and demand of TPU in my country
my country is still the largest shoemaking base in Asia. From 2016 to 2017, the development of sports shoes in my country has been accelerating, and the consumption of TPU has also increased accordingly. The demand for TPU materials and EVA foam materials has also been increasing.
The growth rate of the film industry declined in 2017, but the growth rate is still more than 10%. The industry penetration rate of TPU film is also very high, involving food, medical, automobile, agriculture and other fields. Industry insiders are also optimistic about the
TPU film industry
Although the consumption of TPU in the cable industry does not account for a large proportion, the better environmental protection and recycling performance of TPU materials is also well accepted by the industry. At present, most of the TPU materials in the cable industry are monopolized by large foreign companies.
TPU 3D printing consumables are no longer a dream. There are only a handful of manufacturers in the industry that can produce this material. TPU's excellent characteristics such as high strength, high hardness, and wide hardness range will better serve the 3D
industry in the future.
TPU consumption in the footwear industry
Although the footwear market has shifted to Southeast Asian countries, China is still the largest footwear base in Asia, and most high-end footwear products are still produced in China. At the same time, the consumption of TPU materials in the footwear manufacturing industry is also gradually increasing, and continues to occupy the market share of other rubbers.
Conclusion
HuiYiHao GROUP is an export-oriented entity group company. Focus on the production and sales of the industry's best EVA sheet, EVA packaging products, EVA craft products, EVA toys, furniture products and other types of EVA foam, EPE, sponge products.
The predecessor Shenzhen Huiyihao Packaging Materials Co., Ltd. was founded in 2003 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, mainly for domestic first-line brands and world-renowned enterprise customers.
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