Estane® Engineered Polymers

Extrusion

Demand is continuously expanding for specialty materials that have a combination of outstanding mechanical properties together with the capability of being converted on conventional thermoplastic processing equipment. The family of Estane® Engineered Polymers, which includes aliphatics and aromatics, occupies a unique position of meeting this demand by providing a versatile range of grades from 70A Durometer to 65D Durometer that are being extruded commercially as wire, cable and hose jacketing, profiles, tubing, film, sheet and fabric coatings.

Extrusion and Molding Process

The engineered polymers are fed in pellet form into the machine's hopper, and conveyed forward by a rotating screw inside a heated barrel and softened by both friction and heat.

Blown Film Extrusion

The softened polymers are then forced upwards through a circular die in the shape of a hollow tube. This is a continuous process where the tube is expanded with air above the die and collapsed by the take-off or nip rollers, the volume of air inside the bubble, the speed of the nip rollers and the extruder’s output rate all play a role in determining the thickness and size of the film.

The tube or "web" of film is then continuously rolled up by take-off rollers.

Flat Film Extrusion

Custom sheet extrusion is the process of converting polymer pellets into cut-to-size sheets or rolls of plastic through a combination of heat, pressure and specialized equipment. This sheet can then be further processed into parts via thermoforming, printed, or die-cut, to name a few.

Key end-use markets include:

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Wire & Cable Jacketing

Engineered Polymers are replacing PVC and rubber, particularly in dynamic cable applications: cables that must be reeled and unreeled or stored in extreme climate conditions and environments.

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Hose, Tube & Profile

Estane is a leading supplier of engineered polymers to the extrusion hose and tube segment. Our unique product portfolio provides advantages like long term flexibility, kink resistance, and puncture resistance to name a few.

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Film, Sheet & Fabric Coating

Textiles coated with Estane Engineered Polymers are being used as high quality materials in a wide range of applications.