KRAIBURG TPE has developed an innovative material technology that enables the production of TPE with very low density.
The result is three new product lines for extreme weight-saving components of a type that is in increasing demand for vehicle construction, power tools and various other application areas.
2020 KRAIBURG TPE
KRAIBURG TPE launching world’s first weight-saving TPEs
To further reduce emissions from vehicles, as well as to improve fuel economy, car manufacturers are always looking for extremely lightweight solutions – particularly for unsprung weight in and on their vehicles. Lower weight and increased mobility play a decisive role for the market success of products in other sectors too, including power tools, aviation, drones, textiles, and sports, leisure and outdoor goods.
Expandable materials including TPE are therefore often used, but require strict process control procedures to achieve an even surface quality without surface waviness.
KRAIBURG TPE has now been able to implement a new TPE technology by using 3M Glass Bubbles for materials with very low densities of between 0.7 and 0.9 g/cm³ that enable the production of extremely lightweight thin-walled mouldings, which provide excellent surfaces and are able to withstand mechanical loads.
The microscopic glass bubbles are made of chemically stable borosilicate glass that is insoluble in water. They spread evenly in the TPE matrix and help increase dimensional stability.
The weight is over
The new lightweight TPEs can be processed cost-effectively using established injection moulding machines and extruders. In addition to significant weight savings and very homogeneous surfaces, they also provide excellent compression set values. Production waste can be recycled directly.
KRAIBURG TPE is initially offering three specific series of the world’s first TPEs of this type, including: THERMOLAST K LW/UV (lightweight + UV resistance) for exterior vehicle components; THERMOLAST K LW/CS/UV (lightweight + increased compression set + UV stability) with excellent resilience and adhesion to PP, making this product series particularly suitable for various sealing applications; and THERMOLAST K LW/PA (lightweight + adhesion to polyamides), also with HB non-flammability classification in accordance with UL94.
Martina Hetterich, Project Manager Advance Development at KRAIBURG TPE, said: “3M Glass Bubbles have been tried and tested as weight-saving fillers in various ‘hard’ thermoplastics, but our new lightweight technology is using them in TPEs for the first time. Thanks to the excellent collaboration with our partner 3M, we have been able to develop formulations that not only meet current lightweight construction and quality requirements, but also open up completely new markets for the commercial use of our TPEs.”
The three new THERMOLAST K lightweight series from KRAIBURG TPE are now available worldwide.