Mitsubishi advances auto-foam seals TPE

The extrusion-grade styrenic copolymer (TPS) is an addition to Mitsubishi’s Tefabloc elastomers range, according to Daniel Tyrkas, director, automotive solutions at the company.

With Mitsubishi’s patented technology, a single auto-foamable core grade can be extruded at around 190°C to produce foamed-core profiles, he said at the recent Automotive Materials Summit.

This contrasts with existing technology, in which a compact core grade and foaming masterbatch are combined in the extruder, Tyrkas explained at the conference, held 17-18 June in Munich.

There are also gains in terms of surface smoothness, material homogeneity and mechanical properties, added Tyrkas, noting that the auto-foam material is close to full commercialisation.

For further details see Automotive Materials Summit report titled Accelerated R&D, p40 ERJ July/August 2019 issue.