Many TPU's contain bpa, which some people have made a big noise about. The requirements of conveying potable water are different than the requirements for bottle storage. The exact usage should be reviewed with the material supplier.
If this bladder is specifically molded for you, the pvc supplier to the processor can easily add a tackifier to the formulation. Talk to your processor and have him contact the pvc supplier. If it is not specific to you, a softer compound will have higher COF.
Talk to the material supplier that supplied the PVC, he knows what it is. He can likely also help you with finding a compatible material for your part.
The DOP in the flexible vinyl will eventually crack polycarbonate that has any molded stress in it. You need to use a barrier glue to bond the two together. Baxter does it with an glue they make internally, that I developed when I was there, 20 years ago. I think they still use it.
If the wheel rotates on a steel or metal shaft, I would suggest a nylatron insert that contains TFE is a nylon matrix. It will give lower friction and superior wear than just using PP.
Tackiness can easily be adjusted in to original formulation of urethane be that either thermoplastic or thermoset. Talk to your urethane suppliers and they will give you a grade that is tackier.
Ultrasonic weld configurations can be shear or energy director types. Having two areas that are designed to melt and fuse might improve the reliability. I have never seen it in the practical world. Have the design reviewed by Branson or one of the other big suppliers is your best course of...
I basically agree with Demon but I would change the word from "similar" to "compatible". To get a bond of any sort the polymers must be compatible.
The more easily accomplished process would to have a hot melt adhesive that is dispensed between the two strata and then brought together through...
Talk to a custom compounder about providing you with a SBS compound containing starch. Look in the Modern Plastic Encyclopedia or Plastic technology handbook for sources. This will provide two mechanisms for the degradation to take place. Cost will be dependent on the pounds/year you require and...
The design of 4-5 inch auger that is intended to penetrate into the sand 4 feet and made entirely out of plastic will be difficult. The size of the shaft will have to be much thicker than an equivalent steel auger. Therefore, the resistance to turning will be much higher. I am not sure you...
What material to use will depend on whether you want it: weatherable, or durable for a long time, or worried about it taking a set after being bent or setting at high temperature in the trunk of a car. The easiest way to refine your choices is to look at your competitors in a similar application...
No need to completely reinvent the wheel whenever you have a new idea or market opportunity. Look at the most closely competing products and do a material analysis. (It is cheap.) They most likely already done the work to find the "best" material for the application. Now make your design and...
You could also make the box by injection molding an outer housing from high impact PP or PET and then pull back the slide and overmolding a secondary incompatible material to form a window in the resulting cavity. When you hit the window it dislodges but does not form sharp edges. Then they can...
