Bayer MaterialScience (D-51368 Leverkusen; www.bayermaterialscience.com) and thermoplastic elastomers specialist PTS Plastic Technologie Service (D-91587 Adelshofen; www.pts-marketing.de), are to collaborate in the development of compounds based on Bayer´s “Desmopan” thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and thermoplastic elastomers from PTS.

The new products to be marketed as “Desmoflex” are being recommended for use in a range of indoor and outdoor applications and in the manufacture of automotive components. PTS has been producing styrene block copolymers (SBCs) under the name “PTS-Thermoflex” for some time. Through the use of small amounts of “Desmopan”, compounding can lead to material profiles that combine the individual properties of TPU and SBCs, Bayer said.

“Desmopan” is described as having good abrasion resistance, tear strength and tear propagation resistance as well as high chemical resistance. SBCs, by contrast, are softer materials. The companies claim that through “intelligent compounding,” innovative products with new property profiles can be developed.

As the development relationship has just begun, Bayer said it is difficult to specify more accurately the applications which may be found for the new compounds or to estimate the size of the potential market for the products.