Thermoplastic Rubber- what it is?

Thermoplastic is also called as a thermo-softening plastic, it is a kind of polymer that converts into liquid when heated and it freezes to a glassy state when cooled. The main benefits of Thermoplastic elastomer is it is soft and you get the feel of rubber, colorability, great tear strength, abrasion resistant, dimension stability, feather light in weight, performs similar to a vulcanized rubber, excellent electrical properties, can beat harsh weather conditions, non toxic and is environment sustainable. The usage of TPE Is varied. Thermoplastic elastomer can be used in varied commercial establishments, owing to its high quality and tensile strength. Here we have mentioned some of the applications: Footwear Industrythe Best Thermoplastic elastomer can be used in manufacturing safety shoes, shoe soles, floaters, sports shoes, ski boot soles, etc. Electrical and electronics- It can be used to manufacture primary wire, flexible cord, welding cable, etc. Automotive component and sports products- It can also be used in automotive grip, brushing, bellows, protecting covers, food and medical ball, ball pen grip, toothbrush grip, to name a few. Elastron Thermoplastic Elastomers have been there for quiet some time, and we use it daily whether knowingly or unknowingly. For instance, acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene is a thermoplastic that is used to manufacture a wide array of sports equimpments, toys and other automobile parts. Polycarbonate is used to manufacture compact disc, drinking bottles, eye glass lenses, and a variety of other

things. Polyethylene is the most commonly used thermoplastic and is used to manufacture shampoo bottle, plastic grocery bags, bullet proof vest, etc. Thermoplastics are different from elastomers, but most of the people consider it as one and a same thing. The thermoplastics can be stretched but they dont dismantle. Properties TPE Products are considered to have property of elasticity and flexibility. The amorphous region of TP rubber contributes to the elasticity and the crystalline region is responsible for the strength and rigidity, as it is the case with non-thermoplastic fibrous proteins like silk. As the temperature rises above Tm, the viscosity decreases without a change in phase. Classes of TPE The TPE can be divided into six classes that exist commercially. Here we have enlisted the name of the same: Styrenic block copolymers Polyolefin blends Elastomeric alloys Thermoplastic polyurethanes Thermoplastic copolyster Thermoplastic polyamides The usage of copolymers is styroflex, kraton, pellethane, pebax, hytrel, and much more. There are a variety of commercial applications of elastomer alloy like Dryflex, Santoprene, Sarlink, forprene, Alcryn, Evoprene, etc. In order to be called as a thermoplastic elastomer, a material is known to possess three attributes. Firstly, it should have an ability to stretch to moderate elongation and on the removal of stress, it can return to something that is very near to its original shape. Thermoplastic Elastomer Overmolding is a process through which every thermoplastic must undergo. The second attribute is it should be processable at a high temperature. Last but not the least; it should not have any creep.

The major benefit of TPE rubber materials over other materials is it has a quality of being recyclable, as they can be reused, molded like plastics, but they dont have elastic property of a rubber that is not recyclable because of thermosetting property. It requires little or less compounding. To put it simply, there is no need to blend it with the reinforcing agent, stabilizer. The batch- to- batch variation further ensures consistency both in terms of raw material and it produces less energy, which in turn helps to maintain delicate balance of nature.