As representative sealing products made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), TPU food-grade sealing rings, TPU medical sealing rings, and TPU industrial sealing rings play a crucial role in key fields such as food processing, healthcare, and industrial manufacturing, thanks to their excellent elasticity, environmental adaptability, and processability. Although derived from the same TPU material, they have formed independent technical standards and production logics due to the differentiated requirements for safety, working condition tolerance, and compliance in various application scenarios. This article systematically analyzes the core characteristics of the three types of sealing rings from the perspectives of material foundation, scenario adaptation, technical trends, and selection key points, providing professional references for practical production applications and selection.
Core Basic PerformanceAs a linear elastomer, TPU boasts excellent elastic recovery and tear resistance, with Shore hardness covering common sealing ranges. Its operating temperature ranges from -40℃ to 120℃, suitable for most conventional and mid-to-high-end working conditions. It also exhibits outstanding chemical stability and good tolerance to common media (water, grease, weak acids and alkalis).
Standard Requirements for Segmented Scenarios
Food-grade scenario: Must comply with food contact material standards such as FDA 21 CFR Part 177.2600 and GB 4806.10, with odorless materials, no harmful substance migration, and heavy metal content meeting safety limits.
Medical scenario: Adheres to ISO 10993 biocompatibility standards, with qualified cytotoxicity and sensitization, and compatible with sterilization methods (high-temperature steam, ethylene oxide sterilization).
Industrial scenario: Meets GB/T 3452.1-2005 general standards for seals, with wear resistance and oil resistance suitable for industrial media environments.
TPU Food-Grade Sealing Rings
Material formula: Uses food-contact-grade TPU pellets, added with non-migrating additives, and avoids heavy metal stabilizers to ensure material purity.
Production process: Adopts a clean injection molding environment, strictly controls mold precision, and prevents secondary pollution during molding to ensure product cleanliness.
Core applicable scenarios: Food filling equipment, drinking water pipelines, beverage machinery, etc., adapting to conventional temperature and low-pressure sealing needs.
TPU Medical Sealing Rings
Material formula: Uses medical-grade aliphatic TPU without harmful additives, with qualified biocompatibility to meet human contact safety requirements.
Production process: Entirely produced in GMP-standard workshops, with molds specially treated, and products undergoing clean processing after molding to eliminate particle residues.
Core applicable scenarios: Syringes, medical catheters, hemodialysis equipment, etc., emphasizing sealing reliability and biosafety.
TPU Industrial Sealing Rings
Material formula: Wear-resistant and temperature-resistant modified components can be added according to working conditions; polyester-type TPU with better oil resistance is selected for oil-medium scenarios.
Production process: Adopts precision injection molding technology to ensure product dimensional stability and structural integrity, adapting to the installation and use needs of industrial equipment.
Core applicable scenarios: Hydraulic systems, automotive transmission components, industrial pumps and valves, etc., withstanding medium-high pressure and dynamic sealing working conditions.
Material Modification and UpgradeThe industry's mainstream trend focuses on functional modification: natural antibacterial ingredients are introduced into food-grade TPU to improve safety levels; degradable materials are developed for medical TPU to meet environmental and clinical needs; industrial TPU's temperature and wear resistance limits are enhanced through composite material technology to adapt to harsher working conditions.
Molding Process OptimizationCustomized production has become an important direction: small-batch medical sealing rings adopt 3D printing technology for high-precision molding; mass-produced industrial products use two-color injection molding and other processes to improve structural stability and installation adaptability, balancing efficiency and quality.
Quality Control UpgradeOnline inspection technology is widely applied: food-grade and medical products use visual inspection to control dimensions and cleanliness; industrial products rely on sealing performance testing equipment to monitor reliability in real time, ensuring stable factory quality.
Scenario Matching PrincipleSelect TPU type according to medium characteristics: polyether-type TPU is preferred for food and medical scenarios due to better hydrolysis resistance; polyester-type TPU is suitable for industrial oil-medium scenarios for superior oil resistance.
Installation and MaintenanceAvoid damaging the seal surface with sharp edges during installation; clean food-grade products regularly according to specifications; replace medical products strictly in accordance with sterilization cycles; prevent industrial products from direct contact with strong corrosive media to extend service life.
The development core of TPU food-grade sealing rings, TPU medical sealing rings, and TPU industrial sealing rings lies in achieving scenario-specific precise adaptation based on the inherent advantages of the material. From standard compliance to process optimization, from functional upgrading to quality control, the three types of products have been iterating around the core needs of "safety, reliability, and adaptability." In the future, with the deep integration of material technology and intelligent manufacturing, TPU sealing rings will break through application boundaries in more segmented scenarios, providing more efficient and precise solutions for sealing systems in various industries and supporting high-quality industrial development.
