MOSCOW (MRC) -- Teknor Apex has expanded its "polymer-neutral" product by developing styrenic TPEs with alternative cost and performance profiles to those of TPVs in automotive exterior application, said the producer on its site.
The Sarlink ME-2200 series exhibit higher flow than comparable TPVs, enabling molders of exterior components such as gaskets, seals, and trim to process complex, intricate designs while shortening cycles through reduced packing and cooling time. In applications where TPV compounds are over-engineered, these compounds can provide a cost savings while still meeting the performance requirements of the part. Like TPVs, the compounds are less dense than EPDM and PVC, yielding weight savings of up to 15 and 23 %, respectively.
The TPEs are available in hardnesses from 65 Shore A to 40 Shore D. They are said to offer excellent UV stability, provide good flexibility over a wide temperature range, and yield a Class A surface appearance. The compounds are readily colored and, unlike many TPVs, do not require pre-drying prior to moulding. All compounds in the series are available worldwide in both black and natural formulations.
"Sarlink ME-2200 Series TPEs are already in commercial use for static seals, cowl vent seals, and mirror gaskets," said Jeffrey E. Dickerhoof, senior marketing and sales manager for the Thermoplastic Elastomer Division of Teknor Apex. "These new products are the latest examples of a Teknor Apex program to offer a wide-ranging, polymer-neutral portfolio, one that enables us to recommend a compound not because it happens to be what we make but because it is exactly the right material for a customer’s application."
As MRC informed previously, in 2013, Teknor Apex Company introduced a new rigid PVC compound with a specially developed UV-blocking formulation, which provides clarity for photobioreactor and other outdoor tubing, along with high gloss and toughness for weatherable profile applications.
Teknor Apex is one of the world's leading custom compounders headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA. The company produces PA compounds in the UK, the U.S.A., and Singapore. Teknor Apex is one of the world's leaders of specialty PVC compounds which are used in a wide range of applications from wire and cable to automotive, medical, consumer and industrial products. The company also produces thermoplastic elastomers, nylon, bioplastics, chemicals, specialty compounds.
MRC