After natural rubber and synthetic rubber, thermoplastic elastomer is the third generation of rubber. In addition to having the high elasticity, age resistance, oil resistance, and other qualities of conventional cross-linked vulcanized rubber, its products are also simple to make and process and have the flexibility of plastics. As a result, thermoplastic elastomer materials have emerged as the most recent alternatives to regular rubber.
What accounts for their remarkable elasticity compared to traditional vulcanized rubber? However, it differs from the conventional rubber molding technique in that it is capable of secondary molding, much like plastic.
1. Define “bomb”
Thermoplastic elastomer polymer macromolecular chains have a structure made up of resin (hard segments) and rubber (soft segments) segments with various chemical make-ups. The soft segment is a highly elastic segment with more free rotation capacity, and the soft and hard segments are arranged in an acceptable sequence and connected in an appropriate manner. The inter-segment force of the hard segment is adequate to produce physical “cross-linking”.
The hard segment’s physical crosslinking is reversible, meaning that at high temperatures, it loses its capacity to control the composition of macromolecules and displays flexibility. These “cross-links” restart when the temperature returns to normal, acting much like the cross-linking points of vulcanized rubber. (The SBS hard segment and soft satin structure phase region are shown in the image below.)
When compared to conventional vulcanized rubber, the thermoplastic elastomer’s hard portion is where the rubber’s cross-linking is vulcanized.
Therefore, thermoplastic elastomers can exhibit physical and mechanical properties like elasticity, strength, and deformation characteristics of vulcanized rubber at room temperature and can replace general vulcanized rubber to manufacture some rubber products precisely because of the structural characteristics and cross-linking state of this polymer chain.
2. What does “plastic” mean?
Thermoplastic elastomers feature the flexibility of common polymers in addition to the high elasticity of rubber. This is due to the fact that the hard molecular segment will soften or melt at high temperatures and form a melt. It may be processed using standard plastic molding techniques when an external force is applied (such as shearing and extrusion of the screw). This causes plastic flow, which demonstrates the
processing features of thermoplastics.
In contrast to thermosetting elastomer rubber, thermoplastic elastomers may also be used for secondary molding.
3. The uses and processing properties of “elastic” and “plastic”
Thermoplastic elastomer processing characteristics:
1. Plasticity: Extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, and other common thermoplastic processing tools and techniques may be used to treat and shape it.
2. High elasticity: By producing rubber goods without the requirement for vulcanization, it may save money, minimize the vulcanization process, use less energy, shorten the processing cycle, increase production efficiency, and reduce processing costs.
3. Thermoplasticity: Scraps may be recycled, conserving resources and helping to safeguard the environment.
4. Reversibility of hard segment: The service temperature of the produced product is somewhat constrained owing to quick softening at high temperatures.
Summary for Coace
Therefore, “elasticity” for thermoplastic elastomers refers to the material’s ability to display high elasticity similar to rubber within the temperature range of usage, while “plastic” refers to its ability to undergo plasticizing flow under processing conditions and be processed. Subsequent processing.
The reason thermoplastic elastomers are utilized so frequently in sports, outdoor applications, and other areas is specifically due to their great elasticity and plasticity. For instance, this type of thermoplastic elastomer, which has rubber elasticity and is simple to process, is very popular in the field of shoe materials because consumers need comfortable and long-lasting lightweight running shoes, and manufacturers are paying more attention to the automation of shoe material production.
