Seals work with drinking water and hydraulics

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is outstandingly resistant to abrasion and wear and has a very secure structure.

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is outstandingly resistant to abrasion and wear and has a very secure structure.

Freudenberg Simrit has succeeded in enhancing its hydrolysis-resistant polyurethane.

This means that for the first time ever, the excellent properties of TPU can also be used for seals in drinking water applications.

This new polyurethane, which is approved for use in conjunction with drinking water, is used to manufacture a variety of precision mouldings, standard seals, or application-specific solutions.

This new hydrolysis-resistant polyurethane combines the fascinating properties of TPU: its excellent wear resistance, high tensile strength, elongation at break, widely adjustable hardness, high resistance to ozone and oxidation, excellent damping behaviour in dynamic applications, and a huge resistance to crack formation and growth, especially when used in seals that come in contact with drinking water.

This hydrolysis-resistant TPU is therefore far superior to the NBR and EPDM sealing materials traditionally used for drinking water applications.

Freudenberg Simrit is the only global supplier to offer its customers hydrolysis-resistant polyurethane that has all the necessary approvals for drinking water in Germany such as KTW and W270.

Seals and precision mouldings made of hydrolysis-resistant TPU can, for example, be used in valves, fittings, slides, counters, spray nozzles, faucets, and mixing faucets as well as for sealing pipe connections.

Because it contains no plasticisers, there is no danger of a reaction in any of these products between the sealing material and the plastic elements that are so popular in household technology.

In short, there is no danger of tension cracks caused by plasticisers and the drinking water remains uncontaminated.

Because this innovative sealing material is compatible with drinking water and hydraulic media, it is also suitable for applications that require resistance to both water and oil.

It can therefore be used for sealing applications in agricultural and forestry machinery and in machines and apparatus for bio media and silt, or for machine parts in the textile industry and machine tools.

Because of the high dimensional stability of hydrolysis-resistant TPU, O-rings made of this material can safely and reliably be used and installed over thread courses and side drilled holes.

The fact that this material is extrusion proof and nondeformable, means that additional support rings are not needed for high-pressure applications.

These seals are also capable of bridging larger gaps and allow for greater production tolerance and, therefore, lower costs in production.

But it doesn't end there.

This material can also be used to develop customised solutions that are adapted especially to meet individual application requirements including a variety of technical and material-specific variants.

The colour of the new hydrolysis-resistant TPU can even be adapted to meet individual needs.

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