Does TPE thermoplastic elastomer belong to plastic or rubber?

TPE， The full name is thermoplastic elastomer, which is a new type of polymer material developed in the late 1950s. Its emergence completely breaks the boundaries of traditional material classification. From a chemical composition perspective, TPE thermoplastic elastomers are typically formed by blending or block copolymerization of two or more polymers. Compared with traditional materials, the breakthrough of TPE thermoplastic elastomers lies in its ability to simultaneously possess the advantages of both plastic and rubber. So, does TPE thermoplastic elastomer belong to plastic or rubber? Let's take a look together with Shenzhen Zhongsu Wang TPE editor below!

Does TPE thermoplastic elastomer belong to plastic or rubber?

To determine the classification of TPE thermoplastic elastomers, we first need to understand the basic characteristics of plastics and rubber. Plastic is a type of synthetic polymer material with plasticity, and its molecular chains are usually linear or branched, exhibiting hard and brittle properties at room temperature. They can be shaped by heating and solidified after cooling, but the molecular structure itself does not undergo fundamental changes.

Rubber is a type of polymer material with high elasticity, and there are numerous cross-linking points between its molecular chains, allowing rubber to quickly recover to its original state when subjected to external forces. Traditional rubber products require complex processes such as vulcanization to obtain the desired physical properties, and once formed, they are difficult to change shape.

TPE thermoplastic elastomers cleverly blend the characteristics of both. From the perspective of processing performance, TPE thermoplastic elastomers are similar to plastics: they support various thermoplastic processing techniques such as injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, etc., without the need for complex steps such as vulcanization, with high production efficiency and low cost. More importantly, TPE thermoplastic elastomers can be recycled and reused like plastics, which is in line with the trend of green manufacturing.

From a physical performance perspective, TPE thermoplastic elastomers are similar to rubber: they have excellent elasticity, wear resistance, and weather resistance, exhibiting high elasticity of rubber at room temperature. Its elastic modulus and hardness are much lower than ordinary plastics, and it can quickly recover to its original state after being subjected to force, making it very suitable for applications that require flexibility and resilience.

Therefore, TPE thermoplastic elastomers are not only different from traditional plastics or rubber, but also an independent new type of material, which is an organic fusion of the advantages of plastic and rubber. In the classification of materials science, it is specifically referred to as "thermoplastic elastomer", which not only reflects its characteristics of thermoplastic processing, but also emphasizes its essence as an elastomer. It breaks the boundaries of material classification and provides more possibilities for product design.