Thermoplastic elastomer TPE / TPR, also known as synthetic rubber or synthetic rubber.It is a kind of elastomer with rubber elasticity at room temperature and high temperature.Its products not only have the traditional cross-linked vulcanized rubber, high elasticity, anti-aging, Oil resistance of the outstanding performance, but also with the common plastic processing convenience, wide processing methods, is between the rubber and resin between a new type of polymer materials, often referred to as the third generation of rubber.
Thermoplastic elastomer types
Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) can be summarized as general purpose TPE and engineering TPE two types, has been developed to l0 categories more than 30 varieties.
The TPEs that have been industrially produced in the world include styrene (SBS, SIS, SEBS, SEPS), olefins (TP0, TPV), dienes (TPB, TPI), vinyl chloride (TPVC, TCPE) TPU, TPEE, TPF, Silicone and Ethylene, etc. cover almost all the fields of synthetic rubber and synthetic resin.
Thermoplastic elastomer variety, there is no uniform name, used to English abbreviations, for the sake of unity, are TPE or thermoplastic elastomer called, there are some people with TPE on behalf of the styrenic thermoplastic elastomer.
Processing methods
Thermoplastic elastomers have the physical and mechanical properties of vulcanized rubber and the processability of soft plastics that can easily be made into finished products using simple plastic processing machines by eliminating the need to heat vulcanize like rubber Features, the rubber industry to shorten the production process l / 4, Section Styrene block copolymer about 25% to 40% energy consumption, improve efficiency 10 to 20 times, called the rubber industry once again the revolution in materials and technology.
The two main methods of manufacturing thermoplastic elastomers are extrusion and injection molding, and thermoplastic elastomers can be processed by blow molding, thermoforming and thermal welding, none of which are applicable to thermoset rubber products.
Characteristics and Applications of Various Thermoplastic Elastomers
Styrene block copolymer TPE
Styrene TPE, also known as TPS, is a block copolymer of butadiene or isoprene with styrene, which is the closest to SBR rubber.The representative species is styrene-butadiene-styrene block Copolymer (SBS), the hardness range of 0 ~ 100A, the appearance of transparent or natural color particles, widely used in the footwear industry, has largely replaced the rubber. Styrene main application types are: footwear, wires and cables, biological Medical applications, adhesives, sealants, coatings, fillers, impact modifiers, asphalt, compatibilizers and the like.
Austrian Lang technology shoes TPE material production of fins soles
TPE wire and cable
TPE medical packaging
The second generation of riding Lite Lite Cyclops, the wheels are made of TPE material.
Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber TPU
TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethanes) is a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber, mainly divided into polyester and polyether type points, its hardness range (60HA-85HD), wear resistance, oil resistance, transparency, good elasticity, Sporting goods, toys, decorative materials and other fields are widely used, halogen-free flame retardant TPU can also replace soft PVC to meet the growing environmental requirements.
TPU has been widely used in: shoes, garments, inflatable toys, water and underwater sports equipment, medical equipment, fitness equipment, car seat materials, umbrellas, luggage, purses and so on.
TPU also manufactures parts for automobiles, machinery and watches through molding such as injection molding and extrusion. It is also widely used in high-pressure hose, rubber hose, sheet, belt, conveyor belt, wire and cable, Molding accounted for more than 40%, about 35% of extrusion molding.
TPU sheet
TPU soles
B2 bracelet wristband
TPU bearings
3D printing TPU clothing accessories, designed by the ultimate 3D printing company XUBERANCE design, industrial-grade 3D printing company Hua Shu Gaoke to provide technical support, display in 2017 Shanghai Design Week.
Polyolefin thermoplastic elastomer TPO
Aliphatic TPE TPO referred to as light than other TPE light weight (only 0.88), heat resistance up to 100 ℃, weather resistance and ozone resistance is also good.
In 1981, Mansanto successfully developed a fully dynamic vulcanized TPO named Santoprere, TPV, which markedly improved the compressive deformation resistance, heat aging resistance and oil resistance of TPO, even reached the level of CR rubber. So people call it thermoplastic vulcanizates again.
Thermoplastic polyolefin blends have found widespread use in the automotive industry, mainly automotive molded parts such as bumper pallets, air deflectors, side molds, interstices, grids, end caps, and the like Used as a vertical body panel and fender expansion in non-automotive applications are wire, cable insulation and sheathing, windshield (rain), tool handles, sporting goods and other injection molding and extrusion molding The product.
TPV car dust cover
Car trunk TPO pad
TPO waterproofing membrane
Polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer TPEE
Polyester TPE (TPEE) is a family of linear inlays that contain hard segment (crystalline phase) of PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) polyester and soft segment of aliphatic polyester or polyether (amorphous phase) Section copolymer.
TPEE is a high-performance engineering grade elastomer with good mechanical strength, good elasticity, impact resistance, creep resistance, cold resistance, bending fatigue resistance, oil resistance, chemical resistance and solvent erosion, etc. It has good processability and Filling, strengthening and alloying modification, in the automotive parts, hydraulic hoses, cables and wires, electronic appliances, industrial products, sports goods, biomaterials and other fields has been widely used.
Photo Source: Excellent Cheong Engineering Plastics
Photo source: VCN plastic source official website
Golf ball skin
Vinyl chloride thermoplastic elastomer TPVC / TCPE
Vinyl chloride TPE is divided into two categories of thermoplastic PVC and thermoplastic CPE, the former known as TPVC, the latter known as TCPE.
TPVC can be regarded as a modified product of PVC and a substitute of rubber, mainly used for manufacturing hoses, rubber sheets, adhesive tapes and some plastic parts. Currently, more than 70% are consumed in the automotive field, such as the steering wheel of a car, a wiper strip, etc. Others Use, wire accounts for about 15%, construction waterproof film accounts for about 10%.
TPVC has rapidly developed into a versatile TPE because of its low cost, good weather resistance, ozone resistance, aging resistance, chemical resistance, etc. However, due to the elasticity of TPVC, compression set, and shape at high temperature Retentivity, etc. are poor, compared with the rubber can not, so over the years has been constantly carrying out research and improvement.
Diene-based thermoplastic elastomer
Dienes TPE is mainly the natural rubber isomers, it is also known as the thermoplastic trans-natural rubber (1-NR).
As early as 400 years ago, people found this material as a natural rubber. Although this T-NR has been used for submarine cables and golf balls for more than 100 years, it has a thermoplastic state and crystallinity and is available Limited, long-term use failed to expand.
After 1963, the United States, Canada, Japan and other countries have made a synthetic organic T-NR-trans polyisoprene rubber, called TPI. Compared with other TPE, the advantage of mechanical strength, resistance Disadvantages are good, but also vulcanization, the disadvantage is that the softening temperature is very low, generally only 40-70 ℃, the use is limited. Has begun to gradually replace natural products, and further developed for plastic surgery appliances, gypsum substitutes and sports protection equipment .
In 1974, the Japanese company successfully developed the BR isomer (cis-1, 4 polybutadiene) isomer - the same l, 2 polybutadiene, referred to as TPB. It is more than 90% l, 2-position syndiotactic polybutadiene rubber.The microstructure is a block polymer composed of the crystalline part of the syndiotactic structure of the hard segment and the flexible part of the soft segment, although its heat resistance and mechanical strength are not as good Rubber, but with good transparency, weather resistance and electrical insulation and photolysis, widely used in footwear, sponge, light film and other industrial rubber products and so on.
manufacturer
| foreign | Domestic enterprises |
| United States AES | China Petrochemical Corporation |
| Exxon Mobil | Dongguan Guofeng Zhijia |
| Shengxi Petrochemical | Shandong Thai Ruifeng |
| Sibul | Suzhou Lang Teng material |
| Dow -DuPont | Shenzhen Plastic source |
| BASF | Shenzhen plastic in the king |
| Lubrizol | Shenzhen Shuo Shuo |
| Italy Eni Group | Dongguan Jie Jia |
| Korea Kumho Petrochemical | Dongguan top plastic |
| ... | ... |