Laripur -18 and -18B series are plasticized thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) developed by Coim (stand C22, hall 9, at the exhibition Plast 2015) to supply the footwear industry with technically and aesthetically high quality materials.

These Laripur products contain plasticizers, which have not been classified as harmful and which lead to no migration in the final product. More precisely, the plasticizers used in the -18B series do not contain any phthalate.

The items produced using these TPUs show a remarkable natural glossiness, but it’s also possible to obtain mat surfaces through satin finishing of the mould; moreover, being basically migration-free, the surface appearance is maintained over the time. The perfect replication of the smallest details of the inner mould surface is ensured by the optimal flowability during processing.

The Laripur -18 and -18B series stand out from classic TPUs because, besides exhibiting the well-known properties of polyurethanes (as very good abrasion and tear propagation resistance and the high flexibility in a wide temperature range), they are also stabilized against hydrolysis and against UV and thermal-yellowing. This ensures long lasting aesthetical appearance and technical performances.

The optimal bonding with the 2-components polyurethane systems (both compact and expanded) and in moulding with other TPUs allows the production of a wide range of items: sport shoes, single density and dual density army and safety shoes, fashion shoes and boots. Furthermore, through the addition of a special master available upon request, it’s also possible to produce high-antistatic shoe soles, suitable for ESD safety shoes.

The Laripur -18 and -18B products are also designed for the production of expanded articles: for instance, with the addition of a proper master available upon request, it is possible to produce shoe soles up to 40-50% lighter than conventional TPUs, while maintaining at the same time the typical aesthetical features processing performances of TPU. Lastly, an important advantage of these products is their extreme versatility, which enables their usage with the same machineries traditionally used for plasticized PVC.

Coim’s products belonging to the Laripur RS family are eco-friendly thermoplastic polyurethanes produced starting from raw materials derived from renewable sources, thus reducing the exploitation of fossil reserves.

The amount of these raw materials is very high (up to more than 60% over the total polyurethane weight), thus ensuring a significant reduction of the environmental impact of these materials in comparison with classic TPU.

At the same time, Laripur RS can reach the same performance level of the classic products, keeping the optimal processability and the excellent physical-mechanical properties that are typical of polyurethane.

The Laripur RS family includes products that can be used for a wide range of items: footwear (fashion shoes, free time and sport shoes etc.), ski boots, hoses, profiles, films and various technical items.

The main feature of these eco-friendly TPUs consists in the fact that, even though they contain a high percentage of raw materials derived from renewable sources, they can be used exactly in the same conditions of the standard products, therefore with the same machinery, moulds and equipments and keeping the total recyclability and the possibility to add various masters (pigments, blowing agents, antistatics etc.). The use of Laripur RS ensures therefore the possibility to manufacture high performance items, while contributing to a significant reduction of the environmental impact.