Thermoplastic

When we commonly refer to plastic, we are most often referring to thermoplastic. Thermoplastic encompasses virtually all common and most prevalent plastic components.

UW-ELAST AB primarily works with a narrow niche of thermoplastic, known as thermoplastic elastomer. Polyurethane is a type of such thermoplastic elastomer, often referred to as the most high-grade.

Common thermoplastic is not elastic

Common thermoplastic is not elastic. It has a so-called elongation at break of up to 50%. Elongation at break is a measure that describes how much the material can be stretched before it breaks.

A thermoplastic polyurethane can have an elongation at break of several hundred percent. Our most common polyurethane (TPU) with a hardness of 90 Shore A has an elongation at break of close to 500%.

Elastic memory

If a traditional thermoplastic is subjected to a load, the deformation will persist to some extent after the load is removed. If, on the other hand, a product made of polyurethane (TPU) is loaded, it exhibits elastic memory. After the load is removed, the material returns to its original shape.
Thermoplastics, or plastics, can therefore encompass a wide variety of materials.