Whether TPE can be a spare tire for
Time：2019-06-19Hits：2358
Hello, I'm Zhanghuimin. As a TPE/TPR materials sales specialist, I'm going to share more information about TPE/TPR materials. So today we're going to talk about the performance differences between TPE and silicone. Silicone price rise fierce, TPE raw materials perfect become Silicon gel "spare tire" then we come to make a simple comparison and analysis according to a few points!
TPE thermoplastic elastomers have gradually expanded to the fields of silica gel, PVC, and latex after years of development and application. At present, De Chuang Chemical Co., Ltd. has developed a number of different properties of TPE raw materials, some of TPE materials rebound, toughness, high tensile, And the smoothness of the surface can replace part of the silicone material, but this can only be said to replace part of the silicone, not to say completely replaced, let's look at the areas where TPE can replace silicone!
Silicone has become a leader in soft rubber materials with environmental protection, non-toxic, chemical resistance, high temperature resistance, and excellent elasticity. However, Silicon gel processing is more troublesome(many Silicon gels need to be cross-linked with hydraulic presses, processing period is long, in minutes), and Silicon gels can not be recycled and reused. Silicone is applied to some materials composite bonding molding, processing is relatively difficult, many times need to use adhesives to achieve.
In contrast, the thermoplastic elastomer TPE can be rapidly machined(the molding cycle can be measured in seconds), and the material can be recycled and reused. TPE and most plastics can be directly bonded to molding without the need for adhesive bonding. This makes TPE's overall cost cheaper than silicone. At present, the search for soft rubber materials that can be rapidly molded to replace the silicone gel with a long processing period to reduce production costs has become a problem for many silicone processing manufacturers. TPE just makes up for the short plate of silica gel, so it is naturally the preferred soft rubber material to replace silica gel.
In fact, TPE has also created many successful cases in the unremitting process of replacing silica gel, such as handicraft handrings, sex toys, leather bands, etc. of the original silicone material. In recent years, TPE has announced the success of sharing the market with silica gel. cake. However, any material has its own advantages and disadvantages. It has an environmentally friendly, non-toxic, soft touch, and a TPE that is well-formed and processed. It is not a complete alternative to silicone -- the road to silica gel, leaving Silicon gel with no way to go.
Retroelasticity requirements: For products that require strict return elasticity, if TPE is used, it is necessary to consider whether TPE can meet product requirements. In terms of molecular chain structure, silica gel is a cross-linked three-dimensional mesh structure, and the material has excellent tensile elasticity, and its rebound rate is 100 %. The thermoplastic TPE material is a linear two-dimensional structure. Its elasticity is inferior to that of silica gel. The vast majority of TPEs, after receiving external forces to maintain the tensile state, after removing external forces, it is difficult to have 100 % rebound, there is stress relaxation or tensile deformation. At present, Jinhua Guofeng Oak Plastics Co., Ltd. GF-J series materials have been mature for medical hemostatic band, fitness tension belt and other products. With high tensile modulus and strength, the tensile elasticity is excellent, providing a new non-crosslinked material solution for replacing silicone and rubber with high rebound products.
Touching requirements: In terms of soft hardness, both TPE and silicone can adjust different hardness. However, the Silicon gel material has a smooth touch, and the usual TPE touch can not be reached. Some TPE surfaces even have a certain amount of sticky discomfort. The special TPE material of Silicon gel tactile sensitivity can be developed by customizing the TPE mixing system. At present, Jinhua Guofeng Oak Plastics Co., Ltd.'s GF-TX100 series of smart hand ring special materials have a smooth touch similar to silica gel. But not exactly the same feel as silicone.
High temperature resistance requirements: high temperature resistance required products, using TPE instead of silicone, special TPE materials need to be customized. General TPE based on SEBS, SBS substrate, high temperature can only reach 75 ~ 90 °C. The Silicon gel can withstand high temperatures up to 250 ℃. Some silicone products have application requirements that are resistant to higher temperatures(such as 120 ~ 150 °C). If SEBS type conventional TPE is used, it is difficult to meet the requirements.
Food contact materials: Some soft rubber appliances that need to be touched or stored food, such as coasters, baby milk bottles, container seals, folding bowls, etc., usually use silicone as raw materials. However, in recent years, the use of TPE as a raw material has also become a trend, and the appeal of food-grade TPE materials has not decreased. But TPE's replacement of silicone in food-exposed products is not going smoothly. For food exposure materials, silica gel and TPE are applicable to the corresponding test standards for different countries or regions. For example, the EU region is generally EU1935/2004(the specific test project is water, 3 % acetic acid, and 50 % ethanol is used for residue dissolution testing of samples) and exports of German food appliances, except EU 1035/2004 specified projects. It also needs to be tested for the dissolution of olive oil(ie LFGB test); The Chinese national standard GB4806.1 needs to be tested for distilled water and n-hexane; The US FDA standard is 21CFR 177.2600, and the test content is consistent with the Chinese national standard.
In general, for food contact materials TPE, silica gel test standards, water contact equipment, do distilled water residue test; Containers that come into contact with beverages should be tested for alcoholic acid such as ethanol or acetic acid, and appliances that need to be exposed to oil should be tested for the dissolution of oily solvents such as olive oil or hexane. The test standards in different countries or regions are similar. For TPE, because TPE is a commingled material, specific analysis is required to pass the corresponding tests.
Based on the above analysis, we believe that you can also see that TPE can only replace some of the silicone products, and it can not be completely occupied. In light of the current actual situation, TPE is also a long way to replace silicone. Natural TPE replacement silicone is also inseparable from the development and innovation of TPE manufacturers! Dongguan Dechuang Chemical Co., Ltd. has focused on the development and production of TPE/TPR raw materials for 10 years. Dechuang Chemical has its own R&D team and laboratory, continuously innovating, providing high-quality TPE/TPR rubber plastic raw materials for customers, and understanding more about TPE/TPR rubber raw materials. Call consultation and negotiation!
德创化工 (edit：dechuang)
