What is TPE foam?

In technical terms, TPE stands for Thermoplastic Elastomers. Sometimes referred to

as Thermoplastic Rubbers, TPE is actually a class of materials made up of copolymers,
or a mix of two polymers. Whether you’re a footwear industry veteran or just a
sneaker aficionado, chances are, you’ve heard of the term, “TPE” more than
once. Composed of both hard and soft segments, the resulting TPE takes on the best
properties of each polymer, resulting in a material that behaves like a rubber, is
processed like a plastic, and has a wide breadth of versatility when used in TPE foam.

TPE and TPE foam based materials are not only stable in extreme temperature
conditions, but flexible, soft, elastic, and shock absorbing, to name just a few
properties. They can be repeatedly stretched to more than twice their original length,
and quickly return back to their original length.

PROPERTIES OF TPE & TPE FOAM:

Shock absorption | Flexibility and rapid
recovery | Breathability | Stabilization | Slip resistance | Thermal tolerance
and stability | Density | Soft texture

However, unlike rubber, TPE foams do not need to be vulcanized, cutting down on
manufacturing time, and opening up the use cases of the material. And because it
doesn’t need to be devulcanized, opening up the possibilities for remolding and
recycling. TPE recycling avoids the high heat and toxic chemicals required for
devulcanization, speeding up the manufacturing timeline, cutting down on necessary
energy, and offering a more eco-friendly option for your textile needs. You can find
TPE on your garage door, in your car, on your headphones, and often, in your
footwear.

USES OF TPE AND TPE FOAM:

 Electronics: earbud grips, watch wristbands, soft touch wearables
 Automotive: seals, vents, trim, panels, knobs, floor mats
 Sports: soft grips, sleeves, weighted wearables, protective equipment
 Industrial: siding, hoses, tubing, HVAC, hot tub covers
 Medical: IV bags, gaskets, seals, tubing, sheets, films, soft touch goods
 Footwear: midblock, soles, uppers, sleeves, pads, vent panels

TPE makes up ARIAPRENE®’s main body, and this idea of combination not only
lives in the raw materials, but is continued throughout the construction of your
completely custom product. Depending on the use case, you can combine different
types of TPE and fabrics in our product offerings, to create a material that is unlike
any other current offerings on the market.
ARIAPRENE®in Nike’s Serena Williams Court Flare
In Serena Williams’ case, she needed a shoe that could move with her on the court,
but was also stable, responsive, and protected her from re-injuring her ankle. Her team
at Nike turned to Ariaprene and created a bespoke foam for the integrated ankle sleeve
in her Court Flare shoe. Typically, stability meant bulkier and heavier shoes, but the
Innovation team at Nike found that the exact opposite was needed. Serena needed a
shoe that acted like a second skin. According to veteran Aaron Cooper, “The cuff
helps deliver awareness of the body’s movement in space, which provides Williams
with a feeling of stability and, thus, increased confidence. This helps her attack each
shot and make each cut with uncompromised surefootedness.” And she went on to win
Wimbledon that year.

DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING ADVANTAGES OF ARIAPRENEⓇ:

 Visual customization: more colors including white; ability to combine
and stack layers
 Textural customization: laser cutting, embossing, and thermo-molding
are just a few options
 Environmentally friendly: doesn’t require vulcanization or curing,
recyclable without devulcanization
 Direct manufacturing: allows for a consistent product with a quicker
lead time and turnaround

The quilted texture of the shoes were made possible by ARIAPRENE®’s thermo-
shaping properties, providing increased flexibility, strength, and breathability.
Embossing designs added not only stereoscopic and visual textures to the textile, but
added a practical comfort for the end user at the same time. And because TPE takes so
naturally to thermo-shaping, the heat pressing period was shortened to create a faster
turnaround and used less energy during manufacturing, increasing the overall
production rate. ARIAPRENEⓇ provides a solution for both designers and
manufacturing plants’ biggest problem.

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Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) foam is the sponge with closed-cell structure. The
elongation and resilience are better than Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) foam. The
weight is 40% lighter than ordinary rubber sponge and it has the characteristics of
good formability, easy-fabrication and no water absorption. It complies with the
Restricted Substances List of many global big brands. There is a wide range of sheet
size, thickness and hardness level available for different applications.
ECore series is the thermoplastic elastomer foam and is developed for non-solvent
based adhesive, either water-based glue or PUR (Polyurethane Reactive) adhesion.

Features
 Good elongation than EVA foam.
 High resilience.
 40% lighter than rubber sponge.
 ECore series is non-solvent adhesion compatible.
 Easy fabrication.
 No water absorption.
 Good formability.
 Color customization.
Product Collections

HARDNESS
DENSITY RESILIENCE
(ASKER SHRINKAGE
(g/cm3) (%)
MODEL TYPE C) (%) REMARKS
ASTM ASTM
ASTM 70℃/40MIN
D1817 D2632
D2240

SC-12 9~15 0.15±0.02 5↓ 50↑

SC-18 16~21 0.17±0.02 5↓ 45↑

ECore
10±3 0.12±0.02 7↓ 45↑
08 Non-
solvent
adhesion
ECore compatible.
12±3 0.12±0.02 5↓ 45↑
12
 ECore
18±3 0.11±0.02 3↓ 45↑
18

ECore
25±5 0.12±0.01 7↓ 45↑
25

ECore
33±3 0.11±0.01 3↓ 40↑
33

Nu-Foam is an expanding, polyurethane, prepolymer foam that is used as a sealant

and an insulating product. It is designed to seal, fill and insulate small cracks, gaps
and voids. Tack free time for Nu-Foam is less than 30 minutes at 70°F and 40-50%
relative humidity.