TPEs | MATERIALS


of thermal treatment for sensitive applications. An additional processing step during manufacturing means this is not the case with Elastosil LR 5471. In addition, it exhibits an elongation at break of up to 570% and a tear strength of 38 N/mm (according to ASTM D 624 B). This means that non-postcured parts have sufficient elasticity and mechanical strength for highly demanding applications. Examples include gaskets and flexible scrapers for cookware, baking and kitchen utensils, liners for medical masks, therapeutic devices and soft components for pacifiers and baby bottles.


Styrene TPEs Traditionally, automotive interior components such as instrument panels, door panels, armrests, and centre consoles have been made using multiple materials and separate manufacturing processes for the skin, foam and structural core layers. Asahi Kasei says its styrene-based thermoplastic elasto- mer (TPE) streamlines this approach by enabling skin and foam layers to be formed from the same material family. Through core-back injection moulding, the layers can be produced in a single process. Strong chemical bonding between them eliminates the need for additional adhesives. The result is a simplified material structure that reduces manufacturing complexity, lowers material usage, and enhances the recyclability of interior components. The company will show the materials at Fakuma.


Sustainable TPEs Kraiburg TPE says it has developed a more sustainable TPE for automotive sealing systems, based on its Thermolast K series. The material – developed with automotive supplier SaarGummi – has over 50% post-industrial and post-consumer recyclate and can be integrat- ed into existing applications without affecting performance or processability. Automotive materials typically need high mechanical load capacity, resistance to environ- mental influences and reliable processability – while sustainability has become increasingly impor- tant. To meet these needs, the companies began developing the new material in 2023. It was tested against the existing grade under comparable


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conditions. Results showed that it met the relevant requirements and could be integrated into the production process.


“Our aim was to design a material that saves


resources while meeting the high quality standards of the automotive industry,” said Alexander Mayer, senior business development manager at Kraiburg. “The first results have shown that we are on the right track with this development.” The result is a TPE with a recyclate content of about 56% that reduces the product carbon footprint (PCF) compared to that of the previous variant.


Sebastien Roux, TPE material & process special-


ist at SaarGummi, added: “The material meets the requirements of our application and can be reliably combined with existing components.” Kraiburg has also developed a material with adhesion to polar thermoplastics for applications such as contact with fatty foods. Its new FC/CM3/ AD1 compound series meets the require- ments of two important regulations for food contact applications in Europe and the US. The new series was developed for contact with fatty foods and is also characterised by a pleasant feel and improved organoleptic properties. Increased consumer


awareness of environmen- tal and sustainability issues has led to rising demand for reusable products in many


areas. Typical examples include food containers like lunch boxes, where


the seals in the lids are often made of thermoplas- tic elastomers. “We have been working intensively on this topic


in recent years and have invested heavily in the development of new compounds for safe applica- tions in food contact,” said Dirk Olberding, market manager consumer at Kraiburg TPE. “We have determined precise calculation bases for migration properties and transferred them to the formulation of commercial TPS types.”


CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: � www.basf.com � www.nordarun.com � www.envalior.com � www.wacker.com � www.asahi-kasei.com � www.kraiburg-tpe.com


September/October 2026 | INJECTION WORLD 25


Left: Kraiburg’s new new FC/ CM3/AD1 TPE series is


suitable for contact with food


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