BASF's new TPU can reduce wall thickness by 65%.

The new mountain bike inner tube produced by Schawalbe, the European bicycle tire and inner tube market leader, is made of a new material based on Elastolan TPU, which comes from BASF in Florham Park, New Jersey and will be launched in December.

The two companies have collaborated to develop a material with excellent mechanical properties that can significantly reduce tube wall thickness. According to reports, this gives the eye-catching blue Evo Tuve an important advantage over butyl-based inner tubes: it is 65% lighter than the standard 29-inch tube. Tube; Depending on the size of the tire, the weight of Evo Tube is between 0.15 lbs and 0.17 lbs.

Unusual TPU has extraordinary characteristics. It is particularly resistant to wear and abrasion, so it is very durable. In addition, the inner tube made of this plastic can withstand a very high continuous load, and although the wall thickness is greatly reduced, it can still maintain a constant air pressure for a long time. An interesting feature is that the tube, valve seat and valve stem are all made of Elastolan TPU-based materials, which simplifies the production process and makes the product easy to recycle. The new TPU also has a wide range of other application potentials, including the automotive industry or mechanical and/or medical engineering. It can be injection molded, extrusion molded or blow molded. 

Want to find or compare material data of different resins, grades or suppliers? View Plastics Technology's Plaspec global materials database.

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