What are the materials of TPE and PVC?

TPE and PVC are the two most commonly used materials in the rubber and plastics industry. Their properties are partly similar. Based on the advantages of environmental protection and non-toxicity, in the industries of toys, cables, daily necessities, etc., the dispute between TPE and PVC has intensified in recent years. So what are TPE and PVC?, and how to distinguish them?

What are TPE and PVC?：

　　TPE(Thermoplastic Elastomer)It is a thermoplastic elastomer material.

　　PVC(Polyvinyl chloride )It is an amorphous structure of polyvinyl chloride material.

Introduction of TPE material characteristics:

TPE has the characteristics of high strength, high resilience, injection molding, a wide range of applications, environmental protection, non-toxic safety, and excellent colorability.

Soft touch, weather resistance, fatigue resistance and temperature resistance, excellent processing performance, no need for vulcanization, can be recycled to reduce costs, can be secondary injection molding, and can be coated with PP, PE, PC, PS, ABS and other matrix materials. It can also be formed separately.

Introduction of PVC material characteristics:

PVC has excellent electrical properties, strong acid and alkali resistance, good chemical stability, but low softening point. It is suitable for making thin plates, wire and cable insulation layers, seals, etc.

Amorphous materials have low moisture absorption and poor fluidity. In order to improve fluidity and prevent bubbles, the plastic can be pre-dried. The casting system of the mold should be thick and short, the gate section should be large, and there should be no dead corners. The mold must be cooled and the surface is chrome-plated.

Both TPE and PVC are soft plastics, which can be identified by visual observation and hand feel, and can also be identified by burning materials:

1. Look at the flame color.

The flame root shows that green is PVC, and blue is TPE.

2. Ask about the smell after burning.

TPE has a fragrant smell after burning, which is not unpleasant. The burning of PVC has the odor of chlorine, which is unpleasant and pungent.

3. Look at the flame retardant level

Use materials without flame retardants. The flame retardant grade of TPE is UL94-HB. The flame retardant grade of PVC is UL94-V2, which is self-extinguishing and ignited. After the ignition source is withdrawn, the flame will generally go out.

The above content is an introduction to what materials TPE and PVC are. From the perspective of physical properties, TPE materials have superior physical properties. Soft touch, high elasticity, mild texture, adjustable surface gloss, fog brightness, low smoke, halogen-free, scale-free, excellent oil resistance, weather resistance, aging resistance, perturbation resistance, ozone resistance and chemical resistance. PVC material has high chemical resistance and corrosion resistance, but it is not resistant to ozone. However, it can be corroded by concentrated ammonium oxide such as concentrated sulfuric acid and concentrated nitric acid and is not suitable for contact with aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons.