Granted Patent B2

US 12,661,863 · App. 17/904,918 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Inventors: Frank Schaefer (Lemfoerde, DE); Elmar Poeselt (Lemfoerde, DE); Florian Schulz (Lemfoerde, DE)

Assignee: BASF SE

B32B5/18B29D35/122B32B7/027B32B27/065B32B27/40C08G18/3206C08G18/4854C08J9/232B32B2266/0278B32B2266/0292B32B2274/00B32B2437/02C08G2410/00C08J2201/03C08J2375/04

Abstract

Claims (38)

1 . A molded article (M), comprising:

a molded article (M-1) made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1), and

a foamed pellet material made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-2),

wherein the molded article (M-1) has a softening temperature TS (TPE-1) that deviates by no more than 25° C. from a processing temperature range TP (TPE-2) of the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-2), the softening temperature TS (TPE-1) being determined by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) in accordance with ISO 11359-3:2014,

wherein the processing temperature range TP (TPE-2) is a range from 100 to 170° C.,

wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) is in compact form, and

wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) and the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-2) are each independently selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic polyetheramide, a polyetherester, and a polyesterester.

2 . The molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) has a maximum softening of less than 10% at a temperature below the processing temperature range TP (TPE-2), and in the processing temperature range TP (TPE-2) has a softening in a range from 3% to 12%, the softening being determined by TMA in accordance with ISO 11359-3:2014.

3 . The molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) and the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-2) are each independently selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic polyester, and a thermoplastic polyamide.

4 . The molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) and the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-2) are each independently a thermoplastic polyurethane.

5 . The molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU-1) obtained by reaction of the components (i) to (iii):

(i) a polyisocyanate composition (IC);

(ii) at least one chain extender (CE1), and

(iii) a polyol composition (PC),

wherein the components (i) to (iii) are reacted at an index in a range from 0.99 to 1.02, and

wherein an average molecular weight of polyols present in the polyol composition (PC) is in a range from 1250 g/mol to 2500 g/mol.

6 . The molded article according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one chain extender (CE1) is at least one selected from the group consisting of ethane-1,2-diol, propane-1,3-diol, butane-1,4-diol, and hexane-1,6-diol.

7 . The molded article according to claim 5 , wherein the polyol composition (PC) comprises at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of a polyetherol, a polyesterol, and a polycaprolactone polyol.

8 . The molded article according to claim 5 , wherein the polyol composition (PC) comprises at least one polytetrahydrofuran having a number-average molecular weight Mn in a range from 1400 g/mol to 2200 g/mol.

9 . A process for producing the molded article (M) according to claim 1 , comprising:

(a) providing a molded article (M-1), comprising a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1), in a mold,

(b) filling the mold with a foamed pellet material comprising a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-2), the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-2) having a processing temperature range TP (TPE-2), and

(c) producing the molded article (M) by welding at a temperature in a range from 100 to 170° C.,

wherein the molded article (M-1) has a softening temperature TS (TPE-1) that deviates by no more than 25° C. from the processing temperature range TP (TPE-2), the softening temperature TS (TPE-1) being determined by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) in accordance with ISO 11359-3:2014, and the processing temperature range TP (TPE-2) being a range from 100 to 170° C.,

wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) is in compact form, and

wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) and the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-2) are each independently selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic polyetheramide, a polyetherester, and a polyesterester.

10 . The process according to claim 9 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) has a maximum softening of less than 10% at a temperature below the processing temperature range TP (TPE-2), and in the processing temperature range TP (TPE-2) has a softening in a range from 3% to 12%, the softening being determined by TMA in accordance with ISO 11359-3:2014.

11 . The process according to claim 9 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) and the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-2) are each independently a thermoplastic polyurethane.

12 . A molded article, obtained by the process according to claim 9 .

13 . A method, comprising:

producing the molded article (M) according to claim 1 with a molded article (M-1) in the presence of a foamed pellet material made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-2),

wherein the molded article (M-1) has a softening temperature TS (TPE-1) that deviates by no more than 25° C. from a processing temperature range TP (TPE-2) of the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-2), the softening temperature being determined by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) in accordance with ISO 11359-3:2014, wherein the processing temperature range TP (TPE-2) is a range from 100 to 170° C.,

wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) is in compact form, and

wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) and the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-2) are each independently selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic polyetheramide, a polyetherester, and a polyesterester.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-1) has a maximum softening of less than 10% at a temperature below the processing temperature range TP (TPE-2), and in the processing temperature range TP (TPE-2) has a softening in a range from 3% to 12%, the softening being determined by TMA in accordance with ISO 11359-3:2014.

15 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the molded article (M) is suitable for application in the sports, industry, medicine, sports medicine, safety, automotive, and/or consumer goods field.

16 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the molded article (M) is part of a shoe sole, a bicycle saddle, cushioning, a mattress, an underlay, a grip, a protective film, or a component in automobile interiors and exteriors.

17 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the molded article (M) is a shoe outer sole.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (27)