Dominant Uses and Industry Development Trend of TPE Raw Materials in 2020
Source：德創化工Time：2020-02-22Hits：2269
TPE is a kind of material with high elasticity, high strength, high resilience of rubber and the characteristics of injection molding. As the third generation of rubber, it has achieved extremely rapid development all over the world. TPE has already surpassed the second generation of liquid rubber and has become a new type of material in the rubber industry. Thermoplastic elastomer is composed of resin (hard segment) and rubber segment (soft segment) with different chemical compositions. The hard segment forms physical "cross-linking" due to its segment-to-segment force, while the soft segment is a highly elastic segment with greater rotational capability.
Materials are the basis of manufacturing, and high-end manufacturing cannot do without high-performance materials. At present, TPE has been widely used in transportation, sealed vibration reduction, sports equipment and other fields.
1. Advantages and uses of 1．TPE
Advantages: The thermoplastic elastomer has the advantages of environmental protection, innocuity and safety, wide application range, excellent coloring property, soft touch, weather resistance, fatigue resistance and temperature resistance, superior processing performance, no need of vulcanization, higher processing efficiency than rubber, recycling use, cost reduction, secondary injection molding, coating and bonding with PP, PE, PC, PS, ABS and other matrix materials, or separate molding.
TPE has a wide range of applications, including automotive industry, wire and cable industry, medical equipment industry, toy industry, road industry, shoe industry, sports equipment industry, consumer durable goods, home appliance industry, special-shaped materials, packaging industry, coating industry and sealing field.
2.TPE Industry Development Trend
At present, the TPE industry has a high level of industrial development, and its technology and application are relatively mature. According to data from foreign investigation agencies, the global thermoplastic elastomer market has entered a mature stage of development. At present, the global TPE material has exceeded 4 million tons. In the next few years, TPE material will continue to grow. It is reported that the global TPE annual growth rate will exceed 5% to 5.5%. In terms of region, Asia is the fastest growing market for TPE, with demand for TPE materials accounting for more than half of global demand. China is the largest consumer of TPE and will maintain growth.
TPE materials are used in many fields such as daily necessities, toy products, automobile accessories, sporting goods, baby products, electronic appliances, luggage and clothing, adult products, electric wires and cables, stationery, medical supplies, construction and home decoration, water pipe equipment, industrial casters, mold pressing and pouring, adhesive bonding, toughening agents and the like, replacing traditional rubber products and PVC products.
