FAQ
Find below a list of frequently asked questions about TPE. If you can't find the answer you're looking for here, please don't hesitate to contact our team.
In the simplest terms, traditional TPE types are made by combining a hard material with a soft material, either chemically or by a machine.
Yes, they are safe enough to make sippy cups and healthcare products like medical tubing. If needed for the application, TPE's can even be formulated for fire retardant performance. The material is not allergenic and does not cause rashes. Most TPE's fall into the Food and Drug administration’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) category.
Yes, you can color TPE's and this is a main advantage. Because their natural color is usually cream, white, beige or translucent, TPE's are very easy to color. There is almost no limitation on color when it comes to using TPE's.
If we’re being nuanced, thermoplastic elastomers don’t technically melt. Once heated, TPE's get softer and turn into a form that allows the material to flow freely, but they don’t turn into a liquid state as is the case when something is melted. This ability to flow freely in a near-melted state is an important property because it allows TPE's to be molded into any shape you want.
The main difference between TPE and silicone or vinyl is how they react to heat. After TPE is heated, it can be reprocessed. Silicone or pvc cannot be reprocessed or altered after heat has been applied. A thermoplastic elastomer is a synthetic plastic that melts upon heating and hardens on cooling without changing its chemistry. On the other hand, silicone or vinyl is also a synthetic plastic that contains polymers joined and structured by chemical bonds that harden permanently after one heat application.
There are several reasons TPE's are a more eco-conscious option than thermoset materials like rubber or silicone. Thermoplastic itself means “the ability to be reprocessed by heat.” Because of this, scrap materials during the manufacturing process can be reused. Or, if a product is made incorrectly or needs to be adjusted during the prototyping phase, it can simply be heated again and reshaped, creating no waste. With thermoset materials like a rubber tire, the options are much more limited. Sure, you can grind up a tire into a material for the track around a high school, but the material itself can’t be changed or transformed into a completely new and recyclable product.
You can also make TPE's out of biopolymers, which are natural polymers produced by the cells of living organisms. For example, other plastics made out of natural resources such as sugar cane can be repurposed into TPE's to create new products. TPE's can also be made from post-consumer recycling like ocean plastic (e.g., fishing nets) and turned into material for other goods. Most thermoplastic elastomer products are also recyclable under Plastic Recycling Code 7.