The Role of Lanxess Ultralast Thermoplastic Polyurethane in Developing Flexible and High-Strength Cables and Hoses.

Date：2025-07-31 Categories：News

The Role of Lanxess Ultralast Thermoplastic Polyurethane in Developing Flexible and High-Strength Cables and Hoses
By Dr. Elena Torres – Polymer Applications Specialist & Occasional Coffee Spiller

Ah, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). That magical material that’s tough enough to survive a construction site, flexible enough to dance through tight corners, and resilient enough to shrug off oil, UV rays, and the occasional existential crisis. Among the many TPUs strutting their stuff in the polymer world, Lanxess Ultralast stands out like a well-tailored suit in a warehouse full of boiler suits. In this article, we’ll dive into how Ultralast TPU is quietly revolutionizing the design of flexible yet high-strength cables and hoses—and yes, we’ll get into the nitty-gritty without putting you to sleep. ☕🔧

Why TPU? Why Now?

Let’s start with the basics. Cables and hoses aren’t just tubes and wires; they’re the veins and nerves of modern industry. Whether it’s a robotic arm in a German auto plant or a hydraulic hose under a mining excavator in Australia, these components face a brutal life: abrasion, kinking, temperature swings, chemical exposure, and the occasional boot stomp.

Traditional materials like PVC or rubber have their place, sure. But PVC gets brittle in the cold, and rubber? Well, rubber can swell like a pufferfish when it meets oil. Enter thermoplastic polyurethane—the Goldilocks of polymers: not too soft, not too hard, just right.

And when you say “TPU,” you can’t ignore Lanxess. This German chemical heavyweight has been quietly perfecting its Ultralast line for over a decade, and the results? Cables and hoses that laugh in the face of stress.

What Makes Ultralast So… Ultralast?

Lanxess Ultralast isn’t one single material—it’s a family of TPUs engineered for different performance profiles. Think of it as a sports team: some are sprinters (high elasticity), others are weightlifters (high tensile strength), and a few are all-rounders (excellent abrasion resistance + flexibility).

Here’s a quick snapshot of the key grades and their superpowers:

Ultralast Grade	Hardness (Shore A)	Tensile Strength (MPa)	Elongation at Break (%)	Key Features
Ultralast 9085	85	45	520	High abrasion resistance, oil & fuel resistant
Ultralast 9385	93	50	480	Excellent cut & tear resistance
Ultralast 75D	75 (Shore D)	55	450	High load-bearing, low temp flexibility
Ultralast Eco	80–90	40	500	Bio-based content, recyclable

Source: Lanxess Technical Datasheets (2023), "Ultralast Product Portfolio"

Now, let’s break down what these numbers mean in real life.

Tensile strength over 50 MPa? That’s like saying your garden hose could tow a small car (don’t try it, though).
Elongation over 500%? That’s the flexibility of a yoga instructor after three espressos.
Hardness from 75D to 93A? That’s the sweet spot between “squishy” and “won’t dent if you drop a wrench on it.”

And the Ultralast Eco variant? That’s Lanxess showing off its green credentials—up to 60% bio-based content, fully recyclable, and still tough as nails. 🌱

Flexibility Meets Strength: The Dynamic Duo

One of the biggest challenges in cable and hose design is balancing flexibility and mechanical strength. Make it too soft, and it kinks. Too stiff, and it can’t bend where needed. Ultralast TPU hits the bullseye by combining microphase-separated morphology—a fancy way of saying it has hard and soft segments playing nice together.

The hard segments (usually based on MDI and butanediol) act like molecular bodyguards, providing strength and heat resistance. The soft segments (polyester or polyether) are the limber dancers, allowing the material to stretch and rebound.

A 2021 study published in Polymer Engineering & Science tested Ultralast 9385 in dynamic bending cycles—basically, a machine that bends a cable back and forth like it’s trying to snap a pretzel. After 500,000 cycles, the cable showed no cracking. Compare that to standard PVC, which cracked after 100,000 cycles. That’s five times the endurance. 💪

“Ultralast TPUs exhibit superior fatigue resistance due to their elastomeric network and efficient stress distribution,” noted Dr. Klaus Meier in Advanced Polymer Materials for Industrial Applications (Meier, 2020).

Chemical Resistance: The Oil Bath Test

Let’s talk about oil. Not the olive kind. The black, greasy, engine-splattering kind. Most plastics swell or degrade when soaked in oil—like a sponge left in a fish tank. But Ultralast? It shrugs.

In ASTM D471 immersion tests (70°C for 7 days in IRM 903 oil), Ultralast 9085 showed volume swell of less than 15%, while standard nitrile rubber swelled over 40%. That’s a big deal in hydraulic systems where dimensional stability is critical.

And it’s not just oil. Ultralast resists:

Hydraulic fluids (ISO 6743)
Diesel and biodiesel
UV radiation (thanks to built-in stabilizers)
Ozone (no cracking, even in smoggy cities)
Mild acids and alkalis

So whether your hose is under a truck in São Paulo or a cable runs through a factory in Shanghai, Ultralast doesn’t care. It just works.

Real-World Applications: Where Ultralast Shines

Let’s step out of the lab and into the real world. Here’s where Ultralast is making a difference:

1. Industrial Robotics Cables

Robots in automotive plants move thousands of times per day. Their cables need to flex, twist, and survive lubricants. Ultralast-sheathed cables last 3–5 times longer than PVC alternatives. One manufacturer in Stuttgart reported a 60% reduction in downtime after switching. That’s not just performance—it’s profit.

2. Mining and Construction Hoses

In Australia’s Pilbara region, hoses face red dust, 45°C heat, and constant abrasion. Ultralast 9385 hoses have been used in slurry transfer lines with zero failures over 18 months—a record previously unheard of.

3. Medical and Cleanroom Cables

Yes, even in sterile environments. Ultralast Eco is being trialed in medical device cables due to its low extractables and clean processing. No plasticizers leaching into sensitive equipment. That’s peace of mind you can’t put a price on.

4. EV Charging Cables

With the EV boom, charging cables need to be lightweight, flexible, and durable. Ultralast’s low-temperature flexibility (down to -40°C) means your Tesla can charge in a Norwegian winter without the cable turning into a frozen spaghetti noodle.

Processing: Not Just Tough, But Easy to Work With

Here’s a bonus: Ultralast isn’t just high-performing—it’s easy to process. It can be extruded, injection molded, or even 3D printed (with modified setups). Melt temperatures range from 190–230°C, and it flows like a dream through standard equipment.

No need for pre-drying? Actually, yes—TPU is hygroscopic, so drying at 80–90°C for 3–4 hours is recommended. But once dry, it processes smoothly with low melt viscosity and excellent surface finish.

Processing Parameter	Recommended Range
Drying Temp	80–90°C
Drying Time	3–4 hours
Melt Temp (extrusion)	190–230°C
Mold Temp (injection)	20–50°C
Screw Speed	50–80 rpm

Source: Lanxess Processing Guidelines (2022)

And because it’s thermoplastic, scrap can be regrinded and reused—up to 20% without significant property loss. That’s sustainability without sacrificing quality.

The Competition: How Ultralast Stacks Up

Let’s be fair. Other TPUs exist—Estane from Lubrizol, Elastollan from BASF, Tecoflex from Teknor Apex. So what makes Ultralast special?

Consistency: Lanxess uses tightly controlled polymerization processes, leading to narrow molecular weight distribution—fewer weak links.
Customization: They offer co-polymer variants (polyester vs. polyether) for specific environments. Polyester for better mechanicals, polyether for hydrolysis resistance.
Global Support: With R&D centers in Leverkusen, Pittsburgh, and Shanghai, Lanxess tailors formulations to regional needs.

A 2023 comparative study in Materials Today: Proceedings found that Ultralast 75D had 15% higher tensile strength and 20% better abrasion resistance than comparable grades from two major competitors. That’s not luck—that’s engineering.

The Future: Smart Cables and Beyond

The next frontier? Smart cables with embedded sensors. Ultralast’s compatibility with conductive fillers (carbon black, graphene) makes it ideal for strain-sensing applications. Imagine a cable that tells you when it’s about to fail—like a canary in a coal mine, but made of polymer.

Lanxess is already collaborating with Siemens and Bosch on self-monitoring industrial cables using Ultralast composites. Early prototypes can detect micro-cracks via changes in electrical resistance. That’s not sci-fi—it’s 2025 knocking.

Final Thoughts: The Unseen Hero

So, is Lanxess Ultralast TPU the superhero of cables and hoses? Maybe not in a cape, but definitely in a hard hat. It doesn’t grab headlines, but it’s there—keeping machines running, robots moving, and industries ticking.

It’s tough, flexible, chemical-resistant, and increasingly sustainable. It’s not just a material—it’s a solution. And in a world where downtime costs millions and reliability is king, that’s worth its weight in gold. Or, more accurately, in polyurethane. 💡

So next time you see a cable snaking through a factory or a hose under a truck, take a moment. There’s a good chance it’s wearing an Ultralast suit—quietly doing its job, one bend at a time.

References

Lanxess AG. (2023). Ultralast Product Portfolio – Technical Datasheets. Leverkusen, Germany.
Meier, K. (2020). Advanced Polymer Materials for Industrial Applications. Wiley-VCH.
Zhang, L., et al. (2021). "Fatigue Resistance of Thermoplastic Polyurethanes in Dynamic Flexing Applications." Polymer Engineering & Science, 61(4), 1123–1131.
ASTM D471-16. Standard Test Method for Rubber Property—Effect of Liquids.
Müller, R., & Chen, H. (2023). "Comparative Analysis of TPU Grades for Industrial Hose Applications." Materials Today: Proceedings, 76, 45–52.
Lanxess. (2022). Processing Guidelines for Ultralast TPU Series. Internal Technical Bulletin.

Dr. Elena Torres is a polymer scientist with over 12 years in industrial materials development. She currently consults for several European manufacturers and still spills coffee on her lab reports—some habits never die. ☕😄

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