Teknor Apex Company, US-based diversified material science company, has developed an innovative compounding technology to yield a new series of elastomers that exhibit the superior end-use performance of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) while providing dramatically improved surface properties and processability. The new compounds are the first vulcanizate products in the Telcar® OBC family of thermoplastic olefin elastomers introduced last year by Teknor Apex. The company clams that the Telcar OBC TPVs can be formulated to exhibit a smooth and silky surface instead of the rubber-like touch of conventional TPVs. They are claimed to process readily in extrusion that line speeds can increase by 20 to 30%, making them ideal for intricate die profiles for consumer and industrial applications. Like other Telcar OBC products, the new TPVs are blends of a polyolefin and The Dow Chemical Company's INFUSE™ olefin block copolymers (OBCs), which Teknor Apex uses under a license agreement with Dow. The Thermoplastic Elastomer Division will introduce the new products at NPE2009.
Teknor Apex achieves the enhanced toughness, chemical resistance, and heat resistance characteristic of TPVs by crosslinking the OBC copolymers. The OBCs, in turn, account for the improved surface and processing properties in comparison with conventional TPVs, whose rubber phase consists of EPDM or other crosslinkable elastomers. The company feels that its 'smooth and silky' compounds are particularly promising for kitchen appliances and other consumer products where a bright, clean appearance and pleasant tactile properties add real value. The possible applications include door and window seals, appliance seals and gaskets, and diverse consumer products. The chemical resistance of TPVs makes the new compounds applicable in washing machine and other components that come into contact with detergents, chlorine, and other aggressive substances.
03-Apr-09 
{{comment.DateTimeStampDisplay}}
{{comment.Comments}}