Application of polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent in surface treatment of household appliances

1. Introduction: Make home appliances “face” brighter

In today’s era of “appearance is justice”, the appearance design of household appliances has long become one of the important considerations for consumers’ purchases. Just imagine, if a brand new refrigerator or washing machine has an embarrassing yellow spot on the surface after long-term use, its original high-end temperament will be greatly reduced in an instant. We call this phenomenon “yellow change”. In order to deal with this problem, polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent came into being and became a star product in the field of modern home appliance surface treatment.

So, what is polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent? Simply put, this is an additive specially used to improve the aging resistance of materials. Its main function is to delay or prevent material color changes caused by factors such as ultraviolet irradiation and high temperature oxidation. For household appliances, whether it is a plastic shell or a coated surface, once it turns yellow, it will not only affect the beauty, but may also reduce the service life and market competitiveness of the product. Therefore, how to improve the anti-yellowing performance of home appliance surfaces through scientific means has become a key topic of concern to the industry.

This article will start from the basic principles of polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent and combine practical application cases to deeply explore its important role in the surface treatment of household appliances. At the same time, we will use easy-to-understand language, supplemented by detailed data tables and document references to help readers fully understand the charm of this technology. Next, let us unveil this mysterious veil of protecting the “face” of home appliances!

2. Characteristics and working principle of polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent

(I) Definition and classification of polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent

Polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent is a functional chemical additive that is widely used in thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) materials, aiming to reduce or eliminate material color deterioration caused by environmental factors. Depending on its chemical structure and mechanism of action, this type of anti-yellowing agent can be divided into the following categories:

UV Absorbent Anti-Yellowing Agent
This type of anti-yellowing agent can effectively absorb UV energy and convert it into harmless heat to release it, thereby avoiding the damage of UV light to the material’s molecular bonds. Common UV absorbers include benzotriazoles, salicylates, etc.
Free radical capture anti-yellowing agent
Under light or high temperature conditions, free radicals are easily generated inside the material, which will accelerate the aging process of the material. Free radical capture anti-yellowing agents can capture free radicals through chemical reactions, inhibiting the occurrence of chain reactions, thereby achieving the effect of delaying yellowing.
Antioxidation-type anti-yellowing agent
Such anti-yellowing agents mainly target the oxidation reaction of the material in a high temperature environment, interrupting the oxidation reaction chain by providing hydrogen atoms or other active substances, thereby protecting the material from damage.
Compound anti-yellowing agent
Compound anti-yellowing agent combines the advantages of the above functions, can exert synergistic effects in different environments, and is suitable for high-performance needs under complex operating conditions.

(II) Working principle of anti-yellowing agent

The key reason why polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent can effectively prevent the material from yellowing is its unique chemical structure and mechanism of action. Here is a brief description of its main working principle:

Ultraviolet shielding
The UV absorbing components in the anti-yellowing agent can preferentially absorb high-energy ultraviolet rays and convert them into low-energy infrared or visible light, thereby avoiding the ultraviolet rays acting directly on material molecules, causing molecular bond breakage and degradation.
Free radical scavenging
When the material is exposed to high temperatures or strong light, a large amount of free radicals may be generated inside the molecules. If these free radicals are not removed in time, they will trigger a chain reaction, which will eventually cause the material to discolor or even crack. Anti-yellowing agents quickly neutralize free radicals by providing electrons or hydrogen atoms, thereby preventing further chemical reactions.
Antioxidant protection
Oxidation reaction in high temperature environments is one of the main reasons for material yellowing. Anti-yellowing agents provide a stable antioxidant environment for the material by sacrificing its own molecular structure and extending the service life of the material.

(III) Product parameters list

In order to better understand the performance characteristics of polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent, we have compiled a detailed product parameter list as follows:

parameter name	Unit	Typical value range	Description
Density	g/cm³	1.05 – 1.20	Denotes the mass per unit volume of the material, affecting processing fluidity and molding performance
Thermal Stability	℃	>280	The material’s tolerance under high temperature conditions ensures that it does not decompose long-term use
UV absorption efficiency	%	≥95	The ability to absorb ultraviolet rays, the higher the value, the better the protection effect
Free radical scavenging rate	%	≥80	The ability to scavenge free radicals directly affects the anti-yellowing effect
Solution	——	Easy soluble in organic solvents	Easy to mix with other materials and improve processing adaptability
Additional amount	%	0.5 – 2.0	Adjust the addition ratio according to the specific application scenario. Too much may lead to other performance degradation

The above parameters are only general reference values, and the specific values may vary depending on the supplier and production process. In practical applications, it is necessary to optimize the selection based on the characteristics of the target material and the use environment.

III. Practical application of polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent in household appliances

(I) Analysis of the causes of yellowing of household appliances

As an indispensable part of daily life, household appliances usually need to have good wear resistance, corrosion resistance and aesthetics. However, during long-term use, due to the influence of the external environment, many home appliances will experience varying degrees of yellowing on the surface. Here are some common causes of yellowing:

Ultraviolet radiation
When the appliance shell or panel is exposed to sunlight for a long time, ultraviolet rays will destroy the molecular structure of the material, causing molecular bonds to break, thereby causing color changes.
High temperature aging
Kitchen appliances such as microwave ovens, ovens, etc. are often in high temperature environments, which will cause the material to undergo oxidation reaction and then yellowing.
Chemical erosion
Some detergents or airborne contaminants can react chemically with appliance surface materials to form yellow deposits that are difficult to remove.
Mechanical Stress
Frequent physical friction or impact may also cause changes in the surface molecular structure of the material, thereby accelerating the yellowing process.

(II) Application cases of anti-yellowing agents

In order to effectively solve the above problems, polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agents are increasingly widely used in household appliances. The following are some typical application scenarios:

1. Refrigerator housing

As one of the most frequently used electrical appliances in the home, the refrigerator is mostly made of ABS or PC/ABS alloys. Although these materials have excellent mechanical properties, they are susceptible to the influence of ultraviolet rays and oxygen during long-term use and yellowing. By adding an appropriate amount of polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent, the anti-aging performance of the refrigerator shell can be significantly improved and keep it as bright as new.

2. Microwave oven door panel

Microwave oven door panels are usually made of transparent or translucent polycarbonate (PC) materials, which are prone to yellowing in high temperature environments, affecting the visual effect. Experiments show that after adding a specific proportion of UV-absorbing anti-yellowing agent, the light transmittance and color stability of the door panel were significantly improved.

3. Vacuum cleaner handle

The vacuum cleaner handle is mostly made of soft TPE material to provide a comfortable grip experience. However, this material is also prone to discoloration due to friction and oxidation during long-term use. By introducing free radical capture anti-yellowing agent, it can not only extend the service life of the handle, but also enhance user satisfaction.

(III) Current status of domestic and foreign research

In recent years, significant progress has been made in the research on polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agents. For example, DuPont, the United States, has developed a new composite anti-yellowing agent, whose comprehensive performance is far beyond that of traditional single-function products; while BASF, Germany, focuses on the research and development of environmentally friendly anti-yellowing agents, striving to reduce the impact on the environment while ensuring the effect.

In China, a study from the Department of Chemical Engineering of Tsinghua University showed that by adjusting the molecular structure of anti-yellowing agents, selective regulation of their absorption wavelength can be achieved, thereby better adapting to the needs of different materials. In addition, the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Zhejiang University proposed a nanotechnology-based anti-yellowing solution. This solution further enhances the anti-yellowing effect by constructing a nano-level protective layer on the surface of the material.

IV. Advantages and limitations of polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent

(I) Advantage Analysis

Efficiency
Polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent can significantly improve the anti-aging performance of the material at a lower added amount, which is both cost-saving and easy to operate.
Broad-spectrum
This type of anti-yellowing agent can be widely used in a variety of thermoplastic elastomer materials to meet the personalized needs of different home appliances.
Environmentality
With the advancement of technology, more and more green anti-yellowing agents have been developed, reducing potential harm to the environment.
Economic
Compared to replacing the entire appliance shell or re-coating, using anti-yellowing agent is undoubtedly a more economical option.

(II) Localization Analysis

Although polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent has many advantages, there are still some shortcomings in its application:

Compatibility Issues
Different brands and models of anti-yellowing agents may have compatibility differences with the target material, and it will take multiple trials to find a good match.
Cost constraints
The relatively high price of high-performance anti-yellowing agents may increase production costs, especially for price-sensitive products.
Long-term effect uncertainty
Although laboratory test results show that anti-yellowing agents have good effects, in actual use, their long-term performance still needs further verification due to the complexity of environmental conditions.

5. Future development trends and prospects

With the continuous advancement of technology and changes in market demand, the development prospects of polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent are very broad. Here are a few directions worth paying attention to:

Intelligent anti-yellowing agent
Combined with IoT technology and sensor technology, we will develop intelligent anti-yellowing agents that can monitor the status of materials in real time and automatically adjust the anti-yellowing effect.
Multifunctional Integration
Combining anti-yellowing function with other properties (such as antibacterial, anti-static, etc.) to create an integrated solution to meet diverse needs.
Sustainable Development
Strengthen research on renewable resources and develop more environmentally friendly anti-yellowing agents based on bio-based raw materials to help achieve carbon neutrality goals.

In short, as an important tool in the field of surface treatment of household appliances, its value cannot be underestimated. I believe that in the near future, with the continuous innovation and improvement of technology, this magical “face protection tool” will surely bring our lives.Come with more surprises!

Improve the surface treatment of household appliances using polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent

Improve the surface treatment of household appliances using polyurethane TPE anti-yellowing agent