Custom compounder Teknor Apex (Pawtucket, Rhode Island / USA; www.teknorapex.com) has extended its range of “Sarlink” TPEs (thermoplastic elastomers) through the introduction of four compounds for automotive applications. The company said the materials provide similar, and in some cases improved, performance compared with thermoplastic vulcanisates (TPVs).

The compounds are the first products manufactured by the company to be based on styrenic TPE (TPE-S) chemistry. Unlike TPV automotive compounds, the TPE-S compounds are not affected by variations in the price of EPDM rubber, a key ingredient in TPV manufacture.

The materials offer strength and elasticity comparable to TPVs, provide smoother part surfaces, equivalent or better long-term UV stability than TPVs and exhibit a broader processing window in injection moulding, the company said. They are available in a variety of custom-matched colours.

The “Sarlink” TPE-S compounds are available in injection moulding and extrusion versions in both “high performance” and “general purpose” grades offering a range of hardness, elasticity, heat and chemical resistance as well as UV stability.