what are the advantages of TPV material

1. High resistance to a wide range of solvents, fats, and oils. 100% recyclable 2. Excellent thermal resistance 3. High durability makes the material withstand any significant deformation. 4. Meager impact by aggressive outdoor exposures. 5. Great barrier properties.

What is Santoprene™?

Santoprene™ is a TPV brand owned by ExxonMobil. It is one of the most popular TPV brands in the United States.

Is TPV Plastic or Rubber?

TPV material is succesful blend between plastic and rubber and comes with distinctive properties which makes it highly applicable in many applications/

What is TPV Material? | The Definitive Guide

Hello everybody, today I’m going to share a phenomenal guide on thermoplastic vulcanisate. A hybrid between plastic and rubber was invented to create revolutionary products.

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What is TPV Material?

TPV material, also known as thermoplastic vulcanisate, belongs to the group of thermoplastic rubber materials like TPR, TPE, and TPU. It is an invention that has helped to bridge the gap between plastic and rubber. It is a high-performance elastomer with ever-increasing durability(more on that later), lightweight, chemical, temperature, weathering resistance, good flexibility, and decent colorability.

Thermoplastic vulcanisate is a form of rubber that has been vulcanized utilizing the compounding process. That means polymers are transformed into more durable materials through the participation of crosslinks.

The compounding process makes the TPV rubber extremely flexible and customizable, thus increasing its potential applications significantly. It is called by many experts, which blurs the line between plastics and rubber.

TPV is an alloy comprised mostly of fully cured EPDM Rubber(A type of synthetic rubber) compressed in a matrix similar to polypropylene(PP).

TPVs majorly include acrylate rubber TPV (ACM), silicone rubber TPV (TPSiV), TPV based on NR or ENR, and polyolefin elastomer (EOC) / PP TPV).

Thanks to its easy customization properties, it is steadily replacing traditional thermosetting vulcanized rubber in many industries. The material is available in three physical forms – pallets, solids, and granules.

TPV Material: Key Properties

Property	Temperature	Value
Mechanical
Tensile Strength	at 200-750% strain	–
Elongation	23.0 °C	200 – 750 %
Thermal
Melting Point	–	220 °C
Flammability	UL 94 HB	–
Coefficient of thermal expansion	23.0 °C	5E-5 – 8E-5 1/K
Max service temperature, long	–	130 – 135 °C
Max service temperature, short	–	130 – 135 °C
Electrical
Dielectric constant	23.0 °C	3.5 – 4 [-]
Electrical resistivity	23.0 °C	5.00E+13 – 5.00E+15 Ω·m

High resistance to a wide range of solvents, fats, and oils.
100% recyclable
Excellent thermal resistance
High durability makes the material withstand any significant deformation.
Meager impact by aggressive outdoor exposures.
Great barrier properties.
Good processability
Easy adhesion PE and PP for multiple-part applications

Brands and Suppliers

Below is the list of top suppliers and brands of TPV material:

Supplier	Brand	Origin Country
ExxonMobil Chemical	SANTOPRENE™	United States
Teknor Apex	Sarlink®	United States
Elastron	Elastron®	Turkey
MOCOM Compounds	ALFATER XL®	Germany
Celanese	FORPRENE ®	Italy

Interesting Read – What is ABS Plastic | The Definitve Guide

TPV Materials Applications

Automotive
Building & Construction
Appliances
Agriculture

1. Automotive

The automotive industry is moving towards making less pollution-emitting and lightweight vehicles to reduce the carbon emission by industry. TPV comes to the rescue with its excellent thermal resistance and barrier properties which makes it ideal for such applications

TPV rubber plays an important role in automotive interior parts, tires, under the hood applications, exterior, and chassis.

2. Building & Construction

The thermoplastic vulcanisate compound has great weathering properties and durability making it perfect for building and construction applications like pipes & fittings, glazing seals, waterproofing membrane, decorative and fabric coatings, and wall coverings, etc.

3. Appliances

The lightweight capabilities of thermoplastic vulcanisate can reduce manufacturing and labour costs for manufacturers. The TPV plastic is often used to make interior and exterior parts for appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, ovens, microwaves, hair-dryers, and shavers.

4. Agriculture

Resistance to aggressive fluid ad a good compression set make TPV plastic ideal for manufacturing pipe seals and other fluid-contact products.

Santoprene™

Santoprene™ is a high-performance TPV brand owned, produced, and supplied by ExxonMobil Chemical Company, based in the United States. The word “Santoprene” was trademarked in the year 1977. It is the most popular and widely known TPV brand in North America. Its high-performance nature makes it compatible or applications in automotive, industrial goods, and consumer products.

Key Benefits

Fabulous aesthetics with strength and flexibility
Sustainable benefits like weight reduction sustained manufacturing and recycling compared to thermoset rubber (TSR) or ethylene propylene diene polymethylene backbone (EPDM) rubber.

Differences Between TPV and TPE

TPV	TPE
TPV is a stable elastomer made by mixing EPDM + dynamically vulcanized PP.	A material made by blending thermoplastic rubber and other auxiliary materials
Non-toxic, environmentally friendly, doesn’t contain nitrite and heavy metals and can be recycled to achieve sanitation standards for coping with SGS certification and EU ROHS norms.	Non-toxic, environmentally friendly, doesn’t contain carcinogenic substances and can be recycled to achieve food sanitation standards.
Slight changes in hardness can be seen in varied temperatures, ideal temperature range – -30 ºC ~ 120ºC	Slight changes in hardness can be seen in varied temperatures, ideal temperature range – -30 ºC ~ 80ºC.
The Shore hardness is 5A in the temperature range of -20 ºC ~ 40ºC, which is much better than PVC and EPDM materials.	The Shore hardness is 4A in the same temperature range.
Good ageing resistance	Good ageing resistance
Good weathering resistance	High Tearing strength

Fascinating Read – What is LDPE Material? | The Complete Guide

FAQs

1. What is the difference between EPDM and TPV?

Ans. But TPV and EPDM have their pros and cons, EPDM rubber has limited colour options but provides better abrasion resistance. It also boasts a higher heat resistance TPV (160°C vs. 100°C). On the other hand, TPV offers greater design flexibility and lower fabrication costs for intricate shapes and designs.

2. What is the difference between TPV and PETG?

Ans. If we compare both of them side by side, PETG is more flexible and durable. On the other hand, TPV is not as dense as PETG. In terms of chemical resistance, TPV is a good choice, PETG is an excellent choice.

3. What is the difference between TPU and PLA?

Ans. TPV and PLA have some subtle differences. PLA is more environmentally friendly and compostable. It is easier to print and can prove to e an ideal material for beginners. TPV is good for molding flexible parts that need to be able to return to their originals State.

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The Takeaway

Thus, was my take on TPV material. I have kept this piece short as I don’t think enough development has been made on TPV compounds.

Thanks for reading. Kindly post your reviews and thoughts in the comment box.