Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya
Founder – AI Chat Rubber Polymers, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Introduction
Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are block copolymers with macromolecules containing stiff (rigid) parts with relatively high melting, Tm, and glass transition, Tg, temperatures, and elastic (soft) parts characterized in that their Tm and Tg values are much lower than the polymer normal service temperatures. These rigid and soft parts of the macromolecules form phase-separated domains, which determine an intrinsic feature of thermoplastic elastomers, i.e., a broad temperature plateau of the strain-stress relationship.
To define the scope of this chapter as involving the overviews of TPEs, the following topics will be described here focussing on industrial perspectives:
- Method of synthesis and classifications of TPEs
- Advantage and disadvantages of TPEs
- Mixing, Blending and Moulding (Compression and Injection) of TPEs
- Application of TPEs
(The complete chapter is available only in member’s area)
