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ABSTRACT
TPE is following the traditional trends of the development of the plastic material industry thanks to Super TPEs and the use of renewable resources with bio-TPE incorporating molecules, fillers, fibers, etc. derived from renewable resources or by combining bio-TPE and plastics of fossil origin. To succeed in TPE use selection of material must be one of the stages in a global approach adapted to different characteristics. This approach works from conception up to ready-to-use products by integration of functions, co-transformation and automation finally to reduce costs.
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Michel BIRON: Engineer from the Institut national supérieur de chimie industrielle de Rouen (INSCIR) and the Institut français du caoutchouc (IFC) - Consultant
INTRODUCTION
TPE thermoplastic elastomers are in line with current trends in the plastics industry: improved performance, use of products from renewable sources, lower costs. They are the subject of a first dossier [
Improved performance is achieved through the use of engineered TPEs and new TPEs known as super-TPEs. These retain the fundamental advantages of TPEs and TPVs, enabling them to be manufactured on conventional thermoplastics equipment at much higher throughputs than those achieved with conventional vulcanized rubbers. What's more, they combine the advantages of high-performance vulcanized elastomers with those of engineering plastics. Generally designed to withstand prolonged exposure to heat and aggressive environments, they fall somewhere between engineering plastics and specialty rubbers. However, we must be aware that super-TPEs cannot replace all vulcanizable rubbers in all applications. Automotive tires, for example, are not within their field of application.
It should be noted that there is no clear dividing line between TPEs and super-TPEs. Some copolyesters and polyether block amides could be classified as super-TPEs.
Bio-TPEs are produced from renewable sources via several routes:
polyether block amides, copolyesters and thermoplastic polyurethanes incorporating plant-derived molecules in their macromolecular chains;
TPEs incorporating additives, fillers, fibres, etc. from renewable resources;
alloys of biopolymers and fossil-based plastics;
TPEs based on supramolecular technology.
It's important to note that the mass content of renewable carbon can vary from around 20% to almost 100%, with the remainder being of fossil origin.
Choosing a TPE is only part of the problem. To use VSEs successfully, you need to make the most of their qualities and minimize their shortcomings by adopting an appropriate overall approach.
In addition to the general rules of design, in particular the correct assessment of the requirements to be met, the final design must be the result of iterations that take into account :
how the TPE can be integrated into the production chain of the final device to be manufactured;
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Standardization
Standards mentioning engineered thermoplastic elastomers and bio-TPEs by name are rare. Failing that, it is up to the parties involved in a given problem to consult the standards cited at
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