Thermoplastic elastomers (thermoplastic elastomers, TPE) are widely used due to their unique properties in comparison with other plastics. They are soft, resilient and recoverable.
An alternative was needed to vulcanized rubber as this material has several disadvantages. Among them are limited service life, low manufacturability and thermal stability. This problem was solved by the appearance of thermoplastic elastomers. They are characterized by the following set of properties:
elasticity
softness
thermoplastic elastomerrecyclability
high manufacturability
chemical resistance
heat resistance
long period of operation
zero toxicity
high elasticity at low temperatures
Usually thermoplastic elastomer is black, but the manufacturer can paint the material in other colors. Thermoplastic elastomers are well tolerated by weak acids, alkaline and saline solutions, and alcohols. They are also weather resistant.
Where are thermoplastic elastomers used? TPE of general purpose is used for the manufacture of gears and bearings, couplings, mounts for sports equipment, shoe soles, as well as profiles and pads for anti-slip steps, for more details see
http://shag150.ru . Highly elastic TPEs are used as a material for railway gaskets, parts of industrial rollers, shock absorbers, mechanisms for CD / DVD-players.
The material is processed by injection molding, extrusion, vacuum pressing and blow molding. The material is dried before processing. It is necessary that the moisture content does not exceed 0.1%.