Views: 10136 Author: Abby Wang Publish Time: 2022-12-08 Origin: Hunan Toll Chemical Co., Ltd
A Thermoplastic elastomer, or TPE is a flexible and rubber-like material that processes like plastic. A TPE is a true thermoplastic, which does not require vulcanization or curing. Thermoplastic elastomers are processed using a variety of plastic manufacturing equipment such as, injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding. A TPE can be utilized in advanced processing such as, overmolding and two-shot molding, and can also undergo secondary operations such as, welding and bonding to various materials. Thermoplastic elastomers offer part design flexibility and easy bonding to other thermoplastic substrates.
Thermoplastic elastomers are at work everywhere! Products such as consumer goods, medical equipment, power tools, housewares, shoe insoles, and motorcycle grips are just a few of the examples of TPE materials in action.
Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), sometimes referred to as thermoplastic rubbers, are a class of copolymers or a physical mix of polymers (usually a plastic and a rubber) that consist of materials with both thermoplastic and elastomeric properties. While most elastomers are thermosets, thermoplastics are in contrast relatively easy to use in manufacturing, for example, by injection molding. Thermoplastic elastomers show advantages typical of both rubbery materials and plastic materials. The benefit of using thermoplastic elastomers is the ability to stretch to moderate elongations and return to its near original shape creating a longer life and better physical range than other materials.The principal difference between thermoset elastomers and thermoplastic elastomers is the type of cross-linking bond in their structures. In fact, crosslinking is a critical structural factor which imparts high elastic properties.
