plastics - The customer magazine from BASF 2/2007

Markets and products
BMW X5 with polyurethane
from
Elastogran GmbH.
Soft touch
Interior door handles made of TPU for the BMW 3 Series and the X5
Thermoplastic polyurethane
with soft-touch surfaces are
definitely up and coming in
automotive interiors. These highquality
surfaces combine extremely
pleasant tactile properties with
high functionality and an appealing
design. No wonder that they are becoming
more and more the benchmark
for the modern styling of
vehicle interiors. After all, they are
not only unbeatable when it comes
to quality but, thanks to their flexibility,
they also offer an incredible
plethora of options to automotive
designers.
For many years now, Elastogran GmbH, a
subsidiary of BASF, has been providing a
myriad of applications for car interiors. In
addition to PUR systems for dashboards
or steering wheels, there is also a high
demand for thermoplastic polyurethane
elastomers. The TPU Elastollan ® augments
the multifaceted application possibilities.
One of the latest developments is the particularly
soft, aliphatic Elastollan for interior
door handles in the BMW 3 Series and in
the X5. These interior door handles are
made of a clever combination of the materials
ABS and PC covered with TPU, giving
a very pleasant surface. It stands out for
its agreeable tactile properties – in other
words, for its soft touch. At the same time,
TPU ensures light-fastness and UV- resistance.
Subsequent coating of the surface
is no longer needed and even light colors
can be achieved without coating.
BMW X5, with polyurethanes of Elastogran GmbH.
Versatility
Elastogran has always had great ideas
when it comes to details in automotive interiors.
Be it the slush skin for the surface
of the dashboard, the rolltop cover for the
center console or the gearshift lever, the
handbrake or as film for the backfoaming
of seats and floor mats as well as many
other ingenious solutions – flexible TPU is
a material that has proven its superiority
time and time again. The cup holders of
the Audi A6 as well as the gearshift lever,
handbrake and control buttons in the
Saab 9.3 are all made of that jack-of-alltrades,
TPU.
Further information:
www.elastogran.com
Background
TPU
Material:
Elastollan ® - thermoplastic polyurethane
elastomers
Application:
interior door handles for cars
Properties:
pleasant feel, soft-touch surface,
combines well with other materials,
light-fast, UV-resistant, no subsequent
surface coating needed
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