The remarkable combination of rubber like and thermoplastic properties of
TPE' s lend themselves to a diverse and growing range of applications- serving
almost every industry sector of industrial and consumer goods.
From toothbrushes and wines corks to automobiles and construction seals,
TPE, the "elastic plastic", demonstrates its value in fulfilling
challenging applications that are virtually not achievable in alternative
materials. In a sense they may be considered as another family of engineering
plastics with the possibility to tailor the properties to individual applications.
Durable, low compression set values play a key role in sealing applications
in both automotive and construction markets, whilst colourability and soft
touch play a role in domestic appliances, personal care, toys, and power
tools. The physiological inertness of the materials allows them to be extensively
specified in medical and surgical applications. Food contact grades are
available in all the principal TPE families
The ability to both over-mould or co-extrude with other thermoplastics opens
up a
whole new spectrum of highly integrated applications, that offers significant
cost savings over traditional multi- assemblies
In today's environmentally conscious environment designer are turning to
TPE's as replacements for thermoset rubbers and PVC, particularly in the
automotive industry where TPE's can contribute to the fulfilment of the
new ELV Directive.
New processing techniques and finishing systems are seeing TPE's enter new
application domains where slush moulding, foaming, and fabric coating have
traditionally been used.
Forecasts for growth from market research conducted by Frost and Sullivan
and Robert Eller Associates suggest that the next 5 years will show extremely
rapid growth in TPE's of all types. TPV's in particular are identified as
very fast growth sectors targeted to penetrate the very large automotive
seals market, currently occupied by EPDM rubber.
Global multinational end-users specify Dryflex,
NexPrene, Elastron and Keyflex BT including:
Electrolux, Volvo, Ford , GM, Daimler Chrysler, Renault, Thule, West Pharmaceuticals,
Fiskars, Lego, Nokia, and Ericsson to name just a few.
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