Teknor Apex launches new Sarlink TPE-S family for automotive industry
Teknor Apex Company has launched a new family of Sarlink thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) for manufacturers of sealing systems and other automotive components.
The Sarlink TPE-S family includes high performance extrusion compounds for functional parts such as sealing systems, general-purpose extrusion compounds for non-functional parts like semi-rigid supporting components for sealing system backbones, high performance injection molding compounds for window encapsulation and exterior trim and general purpose injection molding compounds for under-hood and interior components.
The new compounds are the first Sarlink products to be based on styrenic TPE (TPE-S) chemistry. It provides similar and possible improved performance with thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs), according to Ger Vroomen, Senior Marketing Manager for Automotive.
"Unlike the widely used TPV automotive compounds with which the Sarlink brand has been identified, the Sarlink TPE-S compounds are not affected by variations in the price of EPDM rubber, a key ingredient in TPV manufacture," says Mr. Vroomen. "In the past, interest in TPE-S compounds intensified as a result of sharply increasing costs for EPDM, but, although TPE-S compounds still retain an economic advantage, they have also emerged as practical alternatives to TPVs because of their properties. Automotive manufacturers can now view TPE-S compounds as an additional tool in their tool kits, with their final material selection determined by the full range of cost and performance requirements of the application under consideration."
In general, TPE-S compounds exhibit strength and elasticity comparable to TPVs. They provide smoother part surfaces and equivalent or better long-term UV stability than TPVs and exhibit a broader processing window in injection molding, notes Teknor Apex. While standard TPVs are restricted in color to natural and black, TPE-S compounds are available in a variety of custom-matched colors. Unlike TPVs, they generally do not require pre-drying.
On the other hand, TPVs exhibit better resistance to hydrocarbon fluids such as oil and grease have a higher service temperature - 115°C as against 100°C for TPE-S compounds.
