Kraiburg to unveil thermoplastic elastomer hybrids at Fakuma

Waldkraiburg, Germany – Kraiburg TPE will be unveiling a new technology to produce high-performance thermoplastic elastomer hybrids  (TEH) during the Fakuma plastics show, 16-20 Oct in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

The new technology, said the German materials supplier, features an application-specific combination and a modifiability that will enhance the performance of the material compared to classic thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs).

In a statement 10 Oct, Kraiburg TPE said conventional TPVs, mainly known as EPDM/PP blends, were limited in terms of performance, for example in contact with other media at high temperatures. This contrasts with an increased demand for materials that are suited for thermoplastic processing and, in particular, offer high heat and chemical resistance.

By classifying its newly-developed materials as thermoplastic elastomer hybrids (TEH), Kraiburg TPE said it aimed to differentiate them from known TPV blends such as EPDM/PP.

The company said it had developed and tested a “trendsetting TEH manufacturing technology”, which would produce application-engineered TEH materials with new performance class for thermoplastic processors.

“Our TEH manufacturing technology enables us to combine different mixtures of various elastomers and thermoplastics with respective crosslinked systems to form materials with unprecedented properties,” explained Frieder Vielsack, head of advance development at Kraiburg TPE.

According to Vielsack, due to their performance, the new materials can be regarded as an alternative to corresponding rubber compounds. The materials also have high media and temperature resistances which can be adjusted to the requirements of each application, Vielsack added.

While the compounds can be used as an alternative to common crosslinked rubber solutions, they can also be suitable for multi-component applications when bonded with technical plastics such as polyamides and thermoplastic polyesters, Kraiburg TPE noted.

The new materials can be processed with common injection moulding machines and extrusion lines, and do not require finishing. Black and natural are the standard colours.