TPU vs TPH PPF: What the Chemistry Actually Means
Almost all PPF sold today is TPU. A smaller amount is labelled TPH — but the term isn't used consistently across brands, so check the actual self-healing claim rather than assuming from the label alone.
Key Takeaways
- TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) is the dominant PPF chemistry — flexible, and capable of self-healing light scratches and swirl marks when warmed.
- "TPH" is used inconsistently across brands in the Indian market — it doesn't map to one single, standardised chemistry the way TPU does.
- Self-healing behaviour is a specific, checkable claim (usually "heat-activated") — verify it directly rather than assuming it from whether a film is labelled TPU or TPH.
- 32 of PMD's 33 live PPF products are TPU-based; one (Cosmo Silver) is labelled TPH in its own spec sheet while also claiming heat-activated self-healing — exactly why checking the specific claim matters more than the label.
TPU — thermoplastic polyurethane — is the chemistry behind almost every PPF sold in India today, including nearly all of PMD's catalog. It's flexible enough to stretch over curved panels and, in most formulations, self-heals light scratches and swirl marks when warmed by sun or hot water. "TPH" shows up on some product spec sheets as an alternative label, but it's worth understanding it's not used the same way by every brand before treating it as a clean second category.
Why "TPH" Isn't a Single, Consistent Thing
In the broader window-film and PPF industry, "TPH" has historically referred to thermoplastic polyolefin — a stiffer, non-urethane chemistry that typically doesn't self-heal. But the term gets applied inconsistently by different manufacturers, and PMD's own catalog has a real example of why that matters: one product's spec sheet lists its material as "TPH" while the same spec sheet also states heat-activated self-healing — a combination that doesn't match the traditional TPH definition. Rather than resolve that by picking one label as authoritative, the honest answer is: check the specific claim, not the chemistry name.
What to Actually Check
Skip the TPU/TPH label as your first filter. Instead check: does the listing state a specific self-healing mechanism (e.g. "heat-activated")? Is a chemical-resistance claim backed by specifics (bird droppings, tree sap, road tar) rather than a vague "resistant"? Those checkable claims tell you more than a two-letter chemistry code.
What PMD Actually Stocks
The overwhelming majority of PMD's live PPF catalog — 32 of 33 products — is TPU-based, spanning 3M, Garware, Cosmo, NAR, LLumar and Saint-Gobain. If self-healing matters to your buying decision, it's stated explicitly on the product page rather than left for you to infer from the material name.
The Self-Healing Claim, Not Just the Chemistry Label
Every PPF product page on PMD states its actual self-healing behaviour where the brand discloses it, alongside the chemistry name — so you're comparing the real claim, not guessing from a two-letter label that different brands use differently.
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