Thermoplastic elastomers structural components

Chattopadhyay S., Chaki T.K., and Bhowmick A.K., New thermoplastic elastomers from poly(ethyle-neoctene) (engage), poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) and low-density polyethylene by electron beam technology structural characterization and mechanical properties. Rubber Chem. TechnoL, 74, 815, 2001. Roy Choudhury N. and Dutta N.K., Thermoplastic elastomeric natural rubber-polypropylene blends with reference to interaction between the components. Advances in Polymer Blends and Alloys Technology, Vol. 5 (K. Finlayson, ed.), Technomic Publishers, Pensylvania, 1994, 161. 

PEBA exhibit a two-phase (crystalline and amorphous) structure and can be classified as a flexible nylon. Physical, chemical, and thermal properties can be modified by appropriate combination of different amounts of polyamide and polyether blocks [149], Hydrophilic PEBAs can be prepared which can have specific applications in medical devices. Similarly to other thermoplastic elastomers, the poiyamide-based ones find applications in automotive components, sporting goods conveyor belting, adhesives, and coatings [150]. In recent years the world consumption was approximately 6400 tons per year with about 80% in Western Europe and the rest equally split between the United States and Japan [143],... 

In spite of the wide variety in structure of two-phase thermoplastic elastomers, the number of underlying morphologies in commercially important materials is surprisingly small. If we assume that A is initially the minor component and B the major component, then the five equilibrium morphologies given in increasing A content are (Bates and Fredrickson, 1990) ... 

TPE can thus be processed like thermoplastics, but show typical elastomer properties under moderate conditions, see Sect. Structure of plastics in Chap. Properties of Plastics in Structural Components. ... 

Structural Components Made of Thermoplastics and Thermoplastic Elastomers.365... 

Like most synthetic rubbers they are usually compounded with resins, oils, and fillers to produce commercial compounds that can be processed on ordinary thermoplastic processing equipment above the thermal transitions of the components of the compound. The artifacts produced usually have the characteristics of a rubber artifact tires, hoses, shoe-soles, gaskets, rubber bands, electrical cords, to name a few. These represent uses as monolithic structural thermoplastic elastomers. Most TPE s share this identity with conventionally vulcanized rubbers. It is the intended and primary use of this class of materials. ... 

Among thermoplastic elastomers, the styrene-based block copolymers constitute the largest quantity of TPEs. Their chemical structure makes those polymers with unsaturated center blocks (polybutadienes (SBS) or polyisoprene (SIS)) much more oxidation prone than those with saturated elastomer components (ethylene/butyl-ene (SEES) or ethylene/propylene (SEPS)) [86]. 

---