Metallocene elastomers-TPEs

A number of other polymers have the characteristics of TPE and some are available commercially, such as (1) 1,2-polybutadiene, (2) tran -polyisoprene (PI), (3) modified polyethylene (PE) (e.g., ethylene vinyl acetate [EVA] and ethylene ethyl acrylate [EEA]), (4) nonhydrocarbon elastomer-based TPEs, (5) metallocene elastomers/TPEs (MEs/TPEs), and (6) graft copolymeric TPEs. 

In addition to the two-phase TPEs, two new technologies have emerged. They are the metallocene-catalyzed polyolefin plastomers (POPs, the name given to Exxon s EXACT product line) and polyolefin elastomers (POEs, DuPont Dow Elastomer s ENGAGE), and reactor-made thermoplastic polyolefin elastomers (R-TPOs). These new types of TPEs are often called metallocene elastomers-TPEs (MEs-TPEs) [87]. The new POPs and POEs are essentially very low-molecular-weight-Unear low-density PEs (VLMW-LLDPE). These new-generation TPEs exhibit mbber-like properties and can be processed on... 

Schlechter M., Metallocene Elastomers/TPEs, Business Communication, Wellesley, MA, 1996, 159. Figuly G.D. and Goldfinger M.B., Thermoplastic elastomers, US Patent 6300463, 2001. 

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are an extremely fast growing segment of polymer manufacturing. A rate of 5% growth per year is expected until 2007, at which time the total U.S. demand for these materials will reach 1.5 billion lb at a total annual sales of approximately 3 billion dollars per year [1]. The majority of this growth comes in the form of replacements for other types of materials, and the growth of so-called soft-touch surfaces. In the approximately 10 years since the second edition of this book appeared, there has been an important technological advancement in this area the vastly increased production of thermoplastic polyolefin elastomers as a result of the worldwide adoption of metallocene catalysts. 

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