a) TPE's full English name is thermoplasticelastomer Chinese name is thermoplastic elastomer. TPR's English name is thermoplastic rubber Chinese name is thermoplastic rubber. All is a meaning. Generally older people prefer to be called TPR, young people like to be called TPE, sometimes called different regions are also different. Thermoplastic elastomer TPR, TPE is a rubber with high elasticity, high strength, high resilience, but also has the characteristics of injection molding processing, environmental protection, non-toxic safety, wide range of hardness, excellent coloring, soft to the touch, weather resistance, fatigue resistance and temperature resistance, processing performance is superior, no need for vulcanization, can be recycled to reduce the cost of both the second injection molding, with PP, PE, PC, It can be molded by secondary injection molding, covered and bonded with PP, PE, PC, PS, ABS and other base materials, or molded separately. Thermoplastic elastomers have both the processing properties of thermoplastics and the physical properties of vulcanized rubber, which can be described as a combination of the advantages of plastics and rubber. Thermoplastic elastomers are occupying the territory originally belonging only to vulcanized rubber. Over the past decade, the rapid development of the electronics, telecommunications and automotive industries has led to the rapid development of the thermoplastic elastomer market.
b) Advantages of TPR and TPE:
(1) TPR and TPE can be processed by general thermoplastic molding machines, and do not require special processing equipment.
(2) TPR, TPE production efficiency is greatly improved. Can be directly vulcanized by the rubber injection molding machine, the time from the original 20min or so, shortened to less than 1min; due to the need for vulcanization time is very short, so it has been available for direct vulcanization of the extruder, the production efficiency has increased dramatically.
(3) TPR, TPE easy to recycle, reduce costs. Production process waste (escaping burrs, extrusion waste rubber) and the final appearance of the waste products, can be directly returned to reuse; used TPE old products can be simply regenerated after recycling, reducing environmental pollution, expanding the source of renewable resources.
(4) Energy saving. Most of the thermoplastic elastomers do not need vulcanization or vulcanization time is very short, can effectively save energy. High-pressure hose production energy consumption, for example: rubber for 188MJ/kg, TPE for 144MJ/kg, energy saving of more than 25%.
(5) TPR, TPE wider application areas. Because TPE both rubber and plastic advantages, for the rubber industry has opened up new areas of application.
(6) TPR, TPE can be used for plastic reinforcement, toughening modification. Self-reinforcement of large, simplified formulations, with the influence of the agent on the polymer constraints are small, the quality of performance is easier to grasp. However, the heat resistance of TPE is not as good as rubber, as the temperature rises and the physical properties of a larger decline, thus limiting the scope of application. At the same time, compression deformation, elastic recovery, durability and other comparisons with rubber is poor, the price is often higher than similar rubber. Nevertheless, the advantages of TPE are still very prominent, and a variety of new TPE products have been developed. As an energy-saving and environmentally friendly rubber new raw materials, the development prospects are very favorable.
TPE, TPR thermoplastic elastomer advantages and TPE, TPR difference (two)
(ii) TPE, TPR difference: TPR is SBS-based elastomers, TPE is SEBS-based elastomers.
(1) TPE, TPR main difference: TPR's elasticity is better than TPE. but in terms of weathering, oil resistance, aging resistance, etc. TPR is not as good as TPE. Now many manufacturers in order to save costs and improve the overall performance, will be TPE and TPR between the two **** mixed up to use. the difference between TPE, TPR.
(a) Introduction to TPR:
SBS production and consumption distribution: China SBS consumption, footwear accounted for more than 75%, modified bitumen accounted for 10%, adhesives and sealants accounted for 9%. While the United States, Japan and Western Europe are mainly used in adhesives and sealants and asphalt modification. In recent years, China's SBS thermoplastic elastomer production growth, in 2000 *** production of SBS 133,600 tons, the production of enterprises are mainly Beijing Yanhua Joint Stock Company, Baling Petrochemical Company, Maoming Petrochemical Company and so on three. However, in the same year, China's apparent consumption of SBS reached 441,600 tons, the national production can only meet the consumption of 30%. SBS every year is China's largest imports of rubber varieties. 2000 China's shoe capacity has reached 2.5 billion pairs of shoes. 2001 the actual amount of shoes for 809 million pairs of shoes in 2001, compared with the year 2000, an increase of 0.52%. The demand for SBS in the shoe industry is stable. 2001, with the increase of SBS in asphalt modification and adhesive applications, China SBS began a period of rapid growth. Domestic SBS production was boosted by Maoming and Yanshan converting each of their 30,000 tons/year SSBR units to produce both SSBR and SBS, thus adding 60,000 tons/year of new production capacity. It is expected that in 2002, SBS production will reach 150,000-160,000 tons. In building materials, SBS modified asphalt waterproofing roll-roofing is the market's main products, and polyolefin thermoplastic elastomer waterproofing roll-roofing will be in the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" period to get greater development.
(b) TPE, TPR difference:
TPE-hydrogenated SBS (SEBS) is the most successful example of chemical modification of SBS: SBS molecules in the polystyrene chain segment (PS) aggregated into a glassy hard segment uniformly distributed in the polybutadiene (PB) chain for the soft segment of the composition of the continuous phase, at room temperature, the PS chain segment to play a At room temperature, the PS chain segments play the role of physical cross-linking points, forming a similar vulcanization network structure, the material reflects the high elasticity of rubber; at high temperatures, the PS aggregates thermal deformation, melting, the material shows thermoplasticity. Because of its unique molecular structure, thermoplastic elastomer SBS and traditional vulcanized rubber in the performance of the biggest difference is the thermal stability is not enough, with high temperature creep, the molecule contains a large number of double bonds, so that the product's oxygen resistance, aging resistance is poor, oil resistance and mechanical strength is also not enough. Therefore, many works have studied the modification technology of SBS thermoplastic elastomer. And SEBS is the most successful example of chemical modification of SBS. The purpose is to hydrogenate the double bond in the SBS molecule to improve the heat and oxygen aging resistance and weathering resistance of linear and star-shaped SBS.The double bond in the molecular structure of SBS can be hydrogenated at a certain temperature and pressure, and if at higher temperatures and pressures, it can also be made to hydrogenate the butadiene segment and even the styrene segment, and the conversion rate can be as high as 99%. Hydrogenated SEBS has good resistance to oxygen and ozone, improved thermal stability, and increased service temperature, abrasion resistance and electrical properties, and improved compatibility with polyethylene and polypropylene. Due to the harsh conditions of hydrogenation, the realization of hydrogenation at room temperature and pressure, China's current SBS hydrogenation process is the main problem of high catalyst dosage is still in the laboratory and pilot stage. Hydrogenation of foreign products are more stable process performance, generally more than 90% of the soft section of the hydrogenation degree of the hard section of the hydrogenation degree is less than 25%. After hydrogenation of the soft section for polyethylene and poly 1 a butene **** polymer.
(c) TPE, TPR difference: SEBS properties and applications
SEBS is the use of hydrogenation will be saturated aliphatic double bond with a view to expanding the range of product applications. Saturated thermoplastic elastomer SEBS due to the soft section of the saturated alkene structure, weathering, heat aging resistance than SBS is better, and physical properties than SBS is tougher, so the application range is more widely in the production of high-grade automobiles, medical equipment materials, toys, wires and cables, and other fields. At present, mainly imported from abroad. Experts said that China's enterprises should speed up the research and development of high value-added synthetic rubber and production, to ease the supply contradiction, to compete for the right to speak in the market. According to reports, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that SEBS material is non-toxic, will not produce allergy, mutation and rejection of human tissues, with good air tightness, temperature resistance, aging resistance, can use high temperature steaming and ultraviolet direct disinfection, and therefore can be used as a base material for medical devices, such as surgical sets, surgical gowns, infusion tubes, tourniquets, blood separators, rubber plugs and so on. Therefore, SEBS rubber has become a target for international famous enterprises to compete.