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According to reports, the new thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) developed by Huntsman is completely recyclable, UV-resistant, and can be extruded into a film, and then easily expanded into a foam board. Irogran TPU was jointly developed by Huntsman and Shincell New Material Co. Ltd. The company is using the material to manufacture foam panels for insoles, midsoles and front liner applications for global footwear brands. 

Huntsman said that this new material is designed as an alternative to EVA, with high energy return characteristics and long-lasting cushioning properties. Using gas-assisted technology, TPU films can be easily expanded in high-pressure containers without the need to add chemicals commonly used for foaming or cross-linking. Huntsman stated in its announcement that this makes the resulting expanded foam board, as well as any post-production waste and final footwear components, lightweight and easy to recycle.

Huntsman said that the increasing popularity of expanded TPU sheets in the footwear industry prompted preliminary in-depth discussions with Shincell on how to best improve the production process. In the technical briefing, Shincell listed several goals:

"As a company, we focus on providing customers with clean, environmentally friendly, high-performance, and lightweight materials. When we decided to find partners to help us improve the sustainability of foam boards, I knew Huntsman could work with them. Talk to the company," said Dr. Jiang Xiulei, the founder of Shincell, who had a relationship with Huntsman before founding the company. "Huntsman has always provided me with a consistently high level of support. I know that our strong working relationship and common core values ​​will enable this project to achieve results quickly and effectively. The team has proposed a very special product that can satisfy All our requirements. We have seen many new applications of this versatile, recyclable material in footwear and other fields."

Shincell produces expanded foam panels, which customers in the footwear industry cut into the desired shape and size. Since this special grade of Irogran TPU is recyclable, Shincell can collect any excess or waste from customers for reuse. After collection, the waste is ground and reconstituted. They can also be sold to other customers. 

Huntsman Business Development Manager Yi Li said: “Shincell came to us with a very clear vision and a series of technical requirements. I am very happy to collaborate on this project and create such a novel material. It can be used without the use of chemistry. The fact that it can be expanded under the circumstances of the product and is easy to recycle has changed the rules of the game. We are sure that the news of its development will arouse great interest from material regulators in different parts of the footwear industry." 

Shincell is currently testing a new grade of Irogran TPU for other consumer applications and is exploring its potential use in the automotive industry. Other softer grades of materials are also under development. 

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