SHOCK ABSORBER BOOTS MADE FROM BAYER THERMOPLASTIC POLYURETHANE HELP GIVE MERCEDES A SMOOTH RIDE

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SHOCK ABSORBER BOOTS MADE FROM BAYER THERMOPLASTIC POLYURETHANE HELP GIVE MERCEDES A SMOOTH RIDE
29 June 2001 - Bayer MaterialScience AG

Bayer has developed two grades of its Desmopan® thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) that, for the first time, allow engineers to use extrusion blow molding to process TPUs. The new Mercedes S Class cars use the technology in their suspension system.

The Desmopan TPU is used tomake the flexible boots that cover the car's shock absorbers, protecting them from the elements and from debris on the highway.

'Our material is a valuable solution for applications that involve moving parts made of metal or other hard materials,' said Klaus Heimhard of Bayer's Desmopan Marketing Department. 'In addition to shock absorber boots, potential applications include CVJ boots and protective coverings for steering systems as well as for gas pressure controlled springs in suspension systems.

Automotive parts subject to constant motion require a material with high flexibility and dimensional stability. Heimhard said that due to their good tear strength, reduced tear propagation and high resistance to abrasion, buckling and flexural fatigue, the Desmopan TPU grades are ideal.

'Because they are thermoplastics, they can be processed in short, economic cycle times, showing a clear advantage over elastomers such as ethy lene propylene rubber,' Heimhard said. 'Thanks to their high melt stability, these new grades can be used, for example, for vertical extrusion of the parison without the materials losing their shape under their own weight and without any change in dimensions.'

The high melt stability of the Desmopan TPUs, which can also be injection molded, is the result of precise adjustment of the morphology. During blow molding, the extruded parison conforms very well to the mold cavity, taking on the precise dimensions of the mold surface. The material stretched in this way is both highly elastic and dimensionally stable, Heimhard said.

He said the Desmopan TPUs maintain high levels of flexural fatigue strength in all directions and have high buckling resistance, as well as excellent weatherability and resistance to chemicals, oils and greases. Heimhard predicts that the new TPU grades will be used in a variety of applications, from construction to industrial machinery. But for now, he said, Bayer's focus remains on the automotive sector.

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About: Bayer MaterialScience AG
Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is part of the worldwide Bayer Group, an international health care, nutrition and innovative materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. Bayer employs 23,300 in North America with net North American sales of 8.8 billion euros in 2003. Bayer’s three operating business areas – HealthCare, CropScience and MaterialScience, improve people’s lives through a broad range of essential products that help diagnose and treat diseases, protect crops and advance automobile safety and durability.

Bayer MaterialScience AG is one of the world's largest producers of polymers and high-performance plastics. The main customers for Its innovative developments in coatings, adhesives, insulating materials and sealants, polycarbonates and polyurethanes are the automotive and construction industries, the electrical/electronics segment and manufacturers of sports and leisure goods, packaging, and medical devices.

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