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TPEE Monofilament Yarn: Performance and Application

TPEE Monofilament Yarn: Performance and Application

In the fields of functional fabrics, smart shoes, industrial webbing, etc., the demand for high-performance fiber materials is growing. Although traditional nylon and polyester have good strength, they are limited in elasticity, fatigue resistance and environmental adaptability. TPEE (thermoplastic polyester elastomer), as a thermoplastic material with both elastic and mechanical properties, is becoming a new favorite in the high-end fiber market.

TPEE monofilament yarn is made by melt extrusion and stretching of TPEE material. It has both the flexibility of rubber and the structural strength of engineering plastics. It has excellent wear resistance, weather resistance, and elastic recovery ability. It is widely used in fly-woven shoe uppers, industrial filter cloth, elastic mesh cloth, medical protective fabrics and other fields. Compared with TPU monofilament, TPEE performs better in high temperature stability, elongation at break control, rebound efficiency and other aspects.

Since its establishment in 1989, Monofee New Materials Co., Ltd. has focused on the manufacture and development of monofilament yarns, of which TPEE monofilament yarns are one of our star products. TPEE, the full name of thermoplastic polyester elastomer, is a high-performance engineering material that combines the elasticity of rubber with the strength of engineering plastics.

Material properties and performance advantages of TPEE monofilament yarn

The reason why TPEE monofilament has attracted widespread attention in the weaving industry is its excellent material foundation. TPEE has a block copolymer structure composed of polyester hard segment and polyether soft segment, which makes it have high strength and high elasticity at the same time.

High elasticity and excellent recovery
TPEE monofilament can achieve more than 50% deformation recovery without permanent deformation, which is suitable for fabric structures that require repeated stretching, such as sports shoe uppers, elastic webbing, etc.

Heat resistance and dimensional stability
TPEE has a higher heat deformation temperature than TPU (usually above 200°C), and is not easy to shrink or deform during hot pressing and high-speed weaving, keeping the fiber size stable.

Excellent wear and fatigue resistance
The surface of TPEE monofilament has strong wear resistance, and it still maintains continuity and elasticity after more than 10,000 dynamic bending tests. It is an ideal choice for long-life structures such as upper mesh and outdoor fabrics.

Good chemical resistance
It can resist a variety of oils, detergents and acid-base environments, and is suitable for industrial fabrics that require high corrosion resistance.

Environmentally friendly and recyclable
Unlike some thermosetting elastomers, TPEE is a hot-melt recyclable material that meets the requirements of green manufacturing and sustainable development. Some models meet REACH, RoHS and OEKO-TEX certifications.

Analysis of typical application scenarios of TPEE monofilament yarn

With the rapid development of functional fabrics and new textile structures, TPEE monofilament is widely used in many industries due to its advantages such as elasticity, wear resistance, and heat setting. The following are the main application areas in the current market:

Flying woven upper materials

TPEE monofilament, as part of the flying woven upper, can enhance the three-dimensional sense and support of the overall mesh structure. Its high elasticity and heat setting properties enable it to perfectly adapt to high-precision pattern weaving and achieve clear solidification of the edge contour during molding. When mixed with materials such as PA6 and PET, TPEE can provide good tensile support without affecting overall comfort.

Elastic webbing and functional mesh

TPEE monofilament is widely used in elastic webbing, knee and wrist webbing structures, backpack elastic support nets, etc. Its flexibility and non-breakage characteristics enable it to maintain stability in high-frequency folding, bending, and stretching environments, and is particularly suitable for sports goods, medical aids, and other fields that require extremely high fatigue resistance.

Industrial and filtration fabrics

In industrial filter fabrics, TPEE monofilaments are widely used in air filters, liquid filter membrane support layers, industrial filter bags, etc. due to their excellent dimensional stability and chemical resistance. Compared with traditional nylon monofilaments, TPEE can maintain its shape in a high temperature environment.

Hot-pressed composite materials

TPEE has a melting point of about 220°C and can be directly thermally composited with PET cloth and non-woven fabric without adding a glue layer, simplifying the process flow, improving production efficiency, and enhancing the overall consistency and environmental protection of the final fabric.

Medical protective fabrics

TPEE monofilaments also show excellent performance in protective clothing support structures and mask skeleton materials. It is highly safe, non-toxic and odorless, meets OEKO-TEX certification, and can be used for fiber products that come into long-term contact with the skin.

Processing and weaving adaptability of TPEE monofilament yarns

The wide application of TPEE (thermoplastic polyester elastomer) monofilament yarns is inseparable from its excellent adaptability in processing technology. Compared with other thermoplastic elastomers (such as TPU and TPE), TPEE has higher melt strength and lower viscosity index, which makes it more stable during melt extrusion and spinning. As an experienced monofilament manufacturer, Monofee has accumulated a complete technical chain from melt extrusion, spinning and stretching, shaping treatment to winding and packaging, ensuring that each TPEE monofilament has consistency, high performance and controllable quality.

Overview of key points of processing flow

Raw material selection and drying: TPEE raw materials usually have strong hygroscopicity and must be vacuum dried at above 120°C for 4-6 hours to ensure that its moisture content is less than 0.02%, otherwise it is easy to produce bubbles or broken wires during the melting process.

Melt extrusion and spinning: Using twin-screw extrusion equipment, by strictly controlling the extrusion temperature (usually between 220-260°C) and screw speed, the stable feeding and pressure output of TPEE melt can be achieved. After extrusion, a single filament embryo with a diameter of 0.1mm~0.25mm is formed through a spinneret.

Stretching and shaping: TPEE monofilament has high elasticity and must be stretched by 1.52.8 times for cooling and stretching, and heat-set in a specific temperature zone (usually 90120℃) to stabilize the orientation structure of the molecular chain, thereby improving elastic recovery and fatigue resistance.

Winding and finished product packaging: The tension control system is used to wind the monofilament with constant tension to avoid uneven winding that affects the subsequent weaving process. Monofee will provide customized solutions for reel diameter, length and winding density according to customer process requirements.

High compatibility with weaving systems

TPEE monofilament is not only suitable for traditional warp knitting machines and weft knitting machines, but also very suitable for modern flying weaving upper weaving processes, especially in blending with nylon (PA6/PA66), polyester (PET) and other fibers, showing good hot pressing molding stability and color fusion ability. Many shoe material developers have reported that using Monofee's TPEE monofilament, compared with traditional TPU yarn, the yarn breakage rate during flying weaving is reduced by more than 30%, and the color uniformity is improved by 25%.

In addition, since the melting point of TPEE is around 220℃, it can be processed with a variety of cloth-based materials (such as PET woven fabrics, hot-pressed molding films) during hot-pressing or composite molding, without the need for additional hot-melt adhesive or adhesive layer, which greatly improves processing efficiency and reduces costs.

Why choose Monofee?

Monofee has been focusing on the research and development and customization of high-performance monofilament yarns for more than 35 years, especially in the process development of TPEE monofilaments. We not only provide standard specifications of TPEE monofilaments, but also take "application orientation" as the core to customize personalized solutions for customers to meet their product performance requirements.

Professional customization service

Monofee's customization service includes the following dimensions:

  • Wire diameter customization: Supports different wire diameters from 0.10mm to 0.25mm to meet different strength and flexibility requirements.
  • Color customization: Using imported masterbatch coloring system, support Pantone color number customization to ensure batch consistency and color fastness.
  • Performance adjustment: According to the application requirements, the elastic modulus, rebound rate, and wear-resistant layer ratio of TPEE can be adjusted to develop high fatigue resistance or high stiffness models.
  • Proofing verification: Sample spools are provided within 48 hours at the fastest to support customer proofing tests and subsequent adjustments.

Overview of factory production capacity

  • Sufficient production capacity: It has 5 high-speed monofilament extrusion lines with a daily output of more than 2 tons.
  • Quality certification: Passed ISO 9001 quality management system and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 environmental certification, and some products meet REACH regulations.
  • Quality traceability: Each batch of products has an independent batch number and performance test report, which can achieve source quality tracking.

When customers choose Monofee, they are not only purchasing monofilament products, but also gaining a partner who continues to support innovation and development.

Procurement recommendations and selection guide

If you are a shoe weaving factory, sportswear developer or functional fiber procurement manager, you may encounter the following problems when facing various specifications of TPEE monofilament:

  • Which wire diameter monofilament is suitable for my equipment?
  • I want the fabric to be softer but not to reduce strength, how should I choose?
  • Products need to be exported to Europe and the United States, how to confirm environmental protection regulations?

The following are Monofee's procurement recommendations based on many years of customer cases to help you choose the most suitable TPEE monofilament yarn more efficiently:

Classification and selection according to usage scenarios

  • For flying knit uppers: recommended wire diameter 0.12mm~0.18mm, bright colors, high rebound rate, suitable for fine structure, local shaping pattern weaving.
  • For industrial filter cloth: recommended wire diameter above 0.20mm, requiring stronger tensile strength and friction resistance, suitable for high-tension weaving equipment.
  • For elastic webbing or mesh: use 0.10~0.14mm wire diameter, emphasizing flexibility and folding non-deformation performance.

Select characteristics according to processing equipment

  • When using flying looms (such as Santoni and shuttle machines), it is recommended to choose TPEE monofilaments with balanced winding tension and elongation at break controlled at about 25%, which can effectively reduce the yarn breakage rate.
  • For high-speed warp knitting equipment, monofilaments with round cross-section and high finish are preferred to reduce fiber jamming or friction heating.

Comparison of environmental protection and certification indicators

  • If the product is exported to Europe, it is recommended to give priority to TPEE monofilaments that have passed REACH and RoHS tests.
  • If used for close-fitting clothing, it is recommended to use models certified by OEKO-TEX Standard 100 to ensure skin contact safety.

Before purchasing, please communicate with the Monofee engineer team. We can provide TDS data, sample comparison reports and application suggestions to ensure that you choose accurately and use it well.

TPEE monofilament yarn is gradually becoming one of the key materials in the field of high-performance functional fabrics. Its comprehensive advantages in wear resistance, rebound, environmental protection, and processing adaptability have brought more material choices and structural innovation possibilities to industries such as footwear, industrial materials, and medical protection.

Monofee believes that behind every high-performance monofilament is the customer's pursuit of function and quality. We are willing to help customers create lighter, more comfortable, and more competitive fabric solutions based on technological innovation.

Whether you are looking for a new elastic material to replace TPU or want to develop a fabric structure with differentiated performance, TPEE monofilament yarn is worth your in-depth understanding. And Monofee is your trusted partner.

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