Two new classes of thermoplastic polyurethane are entering timing-belt production: bio-based polyols and recycled-content TPU.
Bio-based PU replaces 30-70 % of the petroleum polyol with plant-derived equivalents — identical mechanical properties, lower carbon footprint, no price premium at production volumes above a few hundred thousand meters.
Recycled-content TPU uses post-industrial scrap re-extruded into a performance-tier PU body. Suits non-food applications like general automation and conveyor covers.