TPV offers advantages over TPE, Teknor Apex says

ERJ staff report (LMH)

Philadelphia - Teknor Apex has developed a series of thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) elastomers spanning a wide range of hardness levels, which it claims exhibit high purity and resilience for replacing rubber in medical applications and provides performance and processing advantages over other thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs).

The company is currently highlighting the compounds at the MD&M East trade fair.

The Medalist MD-200 Series elastomers range from ultra-soft 15 Shore A compounds to 80 Shore A grades avoid the need for pre-drying because they are non-hygroscopic, and have a light natural colour that permits efficient use of colorants, Teknor Apex said.

“The TPV technology for the MD-200 series is one of multiple polymer chemistries employed by Teknor Apex in developing our Medalist family of medical elastomers,” said Keith Saunders, senior market manager for the Thermoplastic Elastomer division. “We uniquely manufacture our TPV compounds 'from scratch,' starting with polymers and all other basic ingredients, rather than using a masterbatch intermediary.”

As TPVs, Medalist MD-200 compounds exhibit greater resilience than other TPEs, perform well in high-temperature end uses, and are more chemical-resistant, Teknor Apex claims.

MD&M East is being held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 22-24 May 2012.

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Press release from Teknor Apex