ForMatter/Materials/polymer/Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)
mat_polyurethane_tpu

Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)

thermoplastic elastomer, segmented urethane, flexible · TPU, thermoplastic polyurethane, elastomeric polyurethane
highlast updated 2026-04-27

A polyurethane that's also a thermoplastic — meltable, moldable, and elastic. The flex case on a phone, the sole of a sneaker, the elastic band on a wearable, the flexible 3D-printing filament that bends with the part rather than cracking. Tunable across a wide range of hardness (Shore 60A to 75D) by tweaking the ratio of soft and hard segments in the polymer.

Block copolymer of alternating soft segments (polyether or polyester polyol) and hard segments (urethane diisocyanate-derived). Density ~1.2 g/cm³. Hardness Shore 60A to 75D depending on hard-segment ratio. Tensile strength 25–60 MPa, elongation 400–600%. Excellent abrasion resistance — the highest of any common elastomer. Solvent and oil resistant in polyester-grade variants; polyether grades hydrolytically stable.

Mechanical

  • tensile strength · MPa40
  • elongation (at break) · %500
  • Shore a hardness (typical)85
  • tear strength · kN/m80
  • density · kg/m³1200
source: BASF Elastollan datasheet; Lubrizol Estane datasheet

Thermal

  • service max · °C80
  • softening point · °C130
source: BASF datasheet

Sustainability

  • embodied carbon · kg CO₂e/kg4.5
  • embodied carbon recycled · kg CO₂e/kg1.4
  • recyclabilitymoderate — closed-loop with brand-owner take-back; mainstream curbside not common
  • biodegradableFalse
  • certificationsFDA 21 CFR 177.2600 (rubber food contact)
source: Editorial estimate from ICE / Granta CES EduPack class databases — industry mean, with cradle-to-gate boundary unless otherwise noted. Embodied carbon for any specific product depends on supplier mix, recycled content, and energy grid; verify against a primary source before using these numbers in a sustainability claim.
visual
natural translucent or pigmented; rubbery semi-gloss surface
tactile
rubbery, grippy, soft enough to deform under finger pressure

PBR starter values

finish · matte — open for table, JSON, host snippets, downloads

Principled BSDF defaults derived from the sphere matte finish. Reasonable seed for Blender, Substance, Keyshot, Rhino — tune per material. Or grab the whole library at once: ForMaterials library →

# finish:                   matte
albedo                      #3a4858
metallic                    0.00
roughness                   0.75
ior                         1.45
transmission                0.00
clearcoat                   0.00
sheen                       0.00
anisotropic                 0.00
copy as JSON 
{
  "albedo": "#3a4858",
  "metallic": 0.0,
  "roughness": 0.75,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "transmission": 0.0,
  "clearcoat": 0.0,
  "sheen": 0.0,
  "anisotropic": 0.0
}
Blender 4.x Python 
# Blender 4.x — Principled BSDF
# Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) · finish: matte
import bpy
mat = bpy.data.materials.new(name="mat_polyurethane_tpu")
mat.use_nodes = True
bsdf = mat.node_tree.nodes["Principled BSDF"]
bsdf.inputs["Base Color"].default_value         = (0.0423, 0.0648, 0.0976, 1.0)
bsdf.inputs["Metallic"].default_value           = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Roughness"].default_value          = 0.750
bsdf.inputs["IOR"].default_value                = 1.450
bsdf.inputs["Transmission Weight"].default_value = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Coat Weight"].default_value        = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Sheen Weight"].default_value       = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Anisotropic"].default_value        = 0.000
KeyShot Python (lux) 
# KeyShot 11+ — lux Python API, Generic material
# Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) · finish: matte
# Run from Window → Scripting Console
import lux
mat = lux.createMaterial(name="mat_polyurethane_tpu", materialType="Generic")
mat.setProperty("diffuse",      (58, 72, 88))   # 8-bit sRGB
mat.setProperty("metallic",     0.000)
mat.setProperty("roughness",    0.750)
mat.setProperty("indexOfRefraction", 1.450)
mat.setProperty("transparency", 0.000)
mat.setProperty("coatingWeight", 0.000)
Substance pbrMetalRough 
{
  "_format": "Substance Designer / Painter \u2014 pbrMetalRough constants",
  "_about": "Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) \u00b7 finish: matte",
  "baseColor": {
    "r": 0.0423,
    "g": 0.0648,
    "b": 0.0976
  },
  "metallic": 0.0,
  "roughness": 0.75,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "opacity": 1.0,
  "anisotropyLevel": 0.0,
  "_notes": "Channels listed are the standard Substance pbrMetalRough output. Drop into a Uniform Color node per channel, or as the constant input on a layered stack."
}
glTF 2.0 Metallic-Roughness 
{
  "asset": {
    "version": "2.0",
    "generator": "ForMatter"
  },
  "materials": [
    {
      "name": "mat_polyurethane_tpu",
      "pbrMetallicRoughness": {
        "baseColorFactor": [
          0.0423,
          0.0648,
          0.0976,
          1.0
        ],
        "metallicFactor": 0.0,
        "roughnessFactor": 0.75
      },
      "extensions": {
        "KHR_materials_ior": {
          "ior": 1.45
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
USD Preview Surface 
# USD Preview Surface — UsdShade.MaterialLook prim attributes
# Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) · finish: matte
def Material "mat_polyurethane_tpu" {
    token outputs:surface.connect = </mat_polyurethane_tpu/PreviewSurface.outputs:surface>

    def Shader "PreviewSurface" {
        uniform token info:id = "UsdPreviewSurface"
        color3f inputs:diffuseColor = (0.0423, 0.0648, 0.0976)
        float   inputs:metallic     = 0.000
        float   inputs:roughness    = 0.750
        float   inputs:ior          = 1.450
        float   inputs:opacity      = 1.000
        float   inputs:clearcoat    = 0.000
        token   outputs:surface
    }
}
↓ download glTF material
ProcessInjection Molding · Extrusion · FDM 3D Printing (Fused Deposition Modeling)
Substitutes
Silicone Rubber (RTV)

Second life

repairabilitymoderate — TPU bonds to itself with cyanoacrylate; thermoplastic re-melt possible.
recyclabilitymoderate — RIC code 7; closed-loop in some automotive and footwear applications (Adidas Futurecraft Loop targets TPU recycling).
disposal pathgeneral waste curbside; specialty closed-loop programs.
typical longevity15 years (typical)
failure modes
  • hydrolysis in hot-humid environments
  • tear propagation
  • softening at sustained 80+ °C

BASF / Lubrizol TPU technical literature; SABIC TPU datasheets.

Citations