Hexpol TPE at K 2013 – Latest advances in TPEs and flexible polymers

“K is a truly international event which brings together worldwide OEMs, manufacturers and processors of the rubber and plastics industry. We’re looking forward to meeting up with new and existing customers and presenting Hexpol TPE as a global specialist for intelligent TPE and flexible polymer solutions”, commented Sven-M. Druwen, European sales coordinator for Hexpol TPE. “We have one of the most comprehensive portfolios in the industry; covering TPS, TPO, TPV, TPU, soft PVC, cork compounds, colour and additive masterbatch. So whether high fluid and heat resistance is needed from a TPV compound in automotive sealing, a biocompatible medical grade TPS for intubation equipment or non-phthalate, DEHP free soft-PVC for toys; we can offer our customers the best solution for each application or indeed supply multiple compounds from different classes. At K2013 we’ll be demonstrating why we’re a single source for customised flexible polymer compounds”.

Among the products on display will be the Lifocork flexible polymer compounds which combine natural cork with thermoplastic raw materials. Lifocork compounds offer low densities, natural cork haptics, UV resistance and a non-slip surface. They can be processed using typical thermoplastic processing methods such as injection moulding, extrusion or thermoforming. For various applications areas, a range of Lifocork compounds have been developed using different thermoplastic matrix materials, including TPO, TPE, TPU, and soft PVC. They are available in arrange of hardnesses from 50 to 98 Shore A.

Hexpol TPE will have their medical team on hand at K 2013: “We’ll be available to give in-depth advice on the use of TPE in medical device applications”, explained Niklas Ottosson, medical technical manager at HEXPOL TPE. “The right TPE formulation is the key to a safe and successful medical product. Our experience in this sector means we’ve developed our Mediprene TPE compounds to offer the right combination of mechanical properties, regulatory compliance, formulation stability and biocompatibility status. We’ve engineered custom formulations for a number of medical device applications including IV systems, syringe plunger seals, tubing, face masks and medical packaging”.

Hexpol further announced to highlight several new developments in their Dryflex TPE family; including TPE with optimised compression set, conductive TPE and adhesion compounds for two and three component applications which offer easy processing with bonding to a range of substrates such as PA, PC, ABS and POM.